Edge of Arabia

Edge of Arabia is an art exhibition displaying in London, UK where it showcases the new wave of contemporary art of 17 Saudi artists.  Artists participating include; Faisal Samra, Manal Al Dowayan, Abdulnasser Gharem, Lulwah Al-Humoud, Ahmad Mater Aseeri and much more.

The exhibition aims to reveal and empower the unknown voice of the Saudi artists. The exhibition does not come through a propaganda-approach to try and eradicate the negative notions and impressions of the country, yet it desires to create a long-lasting channel to communicate through freely and constantly.

Quote from Ahmad Mater Aseeri:

“What I like about ‘Edge of Arabia’ is that it takes the challenge as opposed to just speaking about the necessity or urgency of doing so. Now it is ‘Edge of Arabia’s’ job to communicate with the world in a positive way, and above all to illuminate.”

Here are the exhibition details:

• When:
  Sunday 16 November 2008
• Until:
  Saturday 13 December 2008
• Where:
  Brunei Gallery at SOAS University of London
  10 Thornhaugh St, London – UK
  WC1H 0XG
  Russell Square
• Contact:
  +44 (0)20 7898 4915
  gallery@soas.ac.uk
• Visit:
  • Edge of Arabia Website
  • SOAS Page

You can also visit the online shop and purchase from a very interesting collection of items. The selection includes the book of the exhibiton, prayer beads, t-shirts, Moleskine notebooks, postcards and more.

• Visit Online Shop

Lamia Ziadé

“Red Shoes, Blue Song” – Painting & collage on paper, 2004

Paris-based Lebanese Illustrator and artist Lamia Ziadé started her career at the age 18 when she moved to Paris to study in Graphic Arts in Atelier Met de Penninghen. She begun her career by designing fabrics for fashion houses of Jean-Paul Gaultier & Issey Myiake. She also worked with Vogue, San Pelligrino and a number of CD & film poster designs.

She participated in a number of exhibitions, one of them was under the title Hotel’s War in Galerie Tanit. The exhbition addressed the time back in 1975 where different militias (Al Kata’eb, Al Murabetoun, Al Feda’youn..etc) involved in the war took over several luxurious hotels in Beirut and used them as fortresses for weeks of dreadful fights. The exhibition explores the way those militias integrated into the hotel forcefully and turned them into their own little habitats where they drink and eat from what’s in the hotel, while entertaining themselves in there.

Photograph from her exhibition “Hotel’s War” – 2008 (Click to Enlarge)

Ziadé’s style takes a very interesting pattern and style of her own; a style that can be identified as highly feminie and yet childish in nature (from the different usage of fabrics, character drawing and so). She is a fan of depicting women either engaging in masturbation or not; but in both cases they are usually with wide open legs open for the spectator’s sight. One only thing that most can agree about Ziadé, her fulfillmet of the titled “Pop artist”.

“Yellow & Gold” – Tissues, 2006

Ziadé both wrote and co-wrote a number of books. They are: “L’utilisation Maximum de la Douceur”, “Dix Doigs Pour Une Voix”, “Rayon Beauté”, “Souliax” and “Strip Tease”.

cover of one of her books “Rayon Beauté” – 1998

Links

• Visit Lamia Ziadé’s official website
• Her profile on Galerie Tanit
• About her exhibition “Hotel’s War” (German)