The young artist who gives modern touch to past glory

Manama

The three-storey house located in a tranquil environment in Isa town is under renovation now. So, the lift is yet to start working. This artist’s studio is located on top of the house and his living room is at the ground floor. It is uphill task to climb three floors amid unbearable heat. But his love and dedication for painting pulls him towards the studio throughout the day. “I visit this studio at least four to five times a day,” said 22-year-old Salman Mubarak Alnajem, a well-known artist in Bahrain.

Salman has turned this studio into his workroom since he came here from the UK, after finishing his graduation in Interior Design under University of the Arts London. He has already received admission to pursue master’s degree at London’s Royal College of Art. “It iss not an easy task to get admission to such a globally recognised institution. We have to send them our paintings. During interview, we have to explain about it. They consider our overall achievements in the field of art,” he said.

He was so into drawing and painting since he was a child. As he grew up, the little hobby has evolved out to become something more serious. This was given special attention by his mother who encouraged him to go ahead in the field of painting.

By the time Salman reached 16, he started taking painting seriously. When he entered into International Baccalaureate (IB) course at Bayan School in Isa Town, he chose art as his main subject. This is where his real tryst with painting began. After that painting became his life.

His first art exhibition was held about six years ago at Al Riwaq Gallery in Adliya. During the exhibition, many senior artists of the Kingdom recognised his talent and patted his back. “Many senior artists told me that my art is totally a new breed which is new in Bahrain. This was because my style was completely different than others,” Salman said.

Afterwards, he took part in more than 10 art exhibitions. Out of them, three were at international levels. Moreover, he had been the youngest ever to participate and win a prize in the 40th annual Fine Arts Exhibition held at Bahrain Museum.

Currently he is preparing for two international exhibitions. The first exhibition will be held on September 18 at Serbelloni Palace in Italy, where the Milan Fashion Week takes place. The second exhibition would be in November in Washington.

Most of his paintings revolve around the theme of importance of individuality. “It is nothing but the ability of a person to freely express him/herself raw without succumbing to the fear of judgment or conformability,” he said.

In the meantime, Salman tries to pay enough attention to glorious past as he is concentrating on the issue of modernising the significant past. “Culture is an important element. I want to modernise it. I want to work with the future, taking into account the glorious past,” he said.

 Apart from painting, Salman is also designing a women’s bracelet called ‘#JIRI2A’ that is due to launch soon. The bracelet embodies two themes: Modernising traditions and adding significance to the insignificant.

 Salman has high ambitions in the field of art. After finishing his masters in London, he wants to establish himself at the global level. “The more I am recognised internationally, the more the arts of Bahrain and Bahrain in general will be recognised,” said Salman, who uses yellow line at the bottom of his every painting as his signature.