17 Bahraini artists selected to exhibit works in London

Manama : Bahrain Art Across Borders (BAAB), a major new arts initiative to showcase Bahraini art to global audience, has announced its selection of 17 artists from the Kingdom to take part in the first exhibition of its kind to be held in London next month.

The artists were chosen through an open call held across the Kingdom earlier this month, which ranged from veterans of the Bahraini art scene to budding artists who are venturing into international events for the first time.    

BAAB is a project of Art Select (brand of Art and Spice), the art investing and consultancy firm, which launched the ArtBahrain fair last year. The project received the support of Tamkeen.

Commenting on the initiative, Tamkeen’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Hala Sulaiman, said, “We are proud to be supporting Bahrain Art Across Borders, which will create the opportunity for skilled and dedicated Bahraini artists to reach untapped markets that appreciate Bahraini craftsmanship and talent.”

The artists range from veterans like Ebrahim Busaad, a founding member of the Bahrain Art Society whose work is held by the British Museum, or Balqees Fakhro, who trained in the US in the 1970s and has shown work worldwide, to calligrapher Taiba Faraj, who only recently quit her career in finance to become a full-time artist. 

Kanika Subberwal, Founder of Art Select, commented, “This is only a first batch of the great talent that exists in the Kingdom and we look forward to giving the same opportunity to many more established and emerging artists looking to truly represent Bahrain’s rich artistic culture on a global level.”

The artists’ work will be featured in a London gallery exhibition in late May, with a launch event at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. It is planned as the first in a series of annual international exhibitions showcasing Bahrain’s most talented artists. The strength of submissions saw an initial list of 15 names extended to 17, who specialise in many areas, from painting to sculpture and even photography.

While the established artists on the list may hint at the influence of Arab modernism on Bahraini painting, the work of 12 female artists among the 17 reflects the growing influence of an important group of women artists such as Nabeela Al Khayer or Mariam Fakhro.   

Inspirations range from the Arabian horse and its historic place in traditional Arab culture, to ultra-sound scans, religious iconography, and the art of tea.  

The selection gives new exposure to four ‘artists to watch’ – Noof Ahmed Alriffai, Shaikha Lulwa Al Khalifa, Shaikha Marwa Al Khalifa, and Amina Al Abbasi – along with new works from 12 more established names. 

The artists were selected after a panel of judges asked for work in any media or style, inspired by Bahrain’s cultural identity, its land or seascape, its environment or its people. 

Artists were chosen through digital submissions by the Art Select team, including gallery director and curator, Janet Rady, and the artist, curator and lecturer Dr Aissa Deebi.

Rady, a London gallerist specialising in Contemporary Middle Eastern and Islamic Art, said, “The main criteria were strength and originality of composition and a sense of Bahraini identity being apparent in the work.”

“We were careful not to judge the work according to Western tastes, whether it be Orientalist or looking for a particular style popular in the West. Some artists were selected for their clear potential as opposed to already being fully fledged. I think the selection shows the diversity of artistic practices in Bahrain and the solidity of their artistic traditions.”

BAAB aims to promote cross-cultural dialogue, broaden artists’ horizons, and introduce art collectors and enthusiasts across the world to the “talents and vision” of Bahrain’s artists.