Saudi-Indian heritage captivates imagination

New Delhi :  A unique exhibition with a perfect blend of paintings and photography showcasing Saudi and Indian architectural heritage has captivated the imagination of visitors at the Tuwaiq Palace in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter. The palace hosts government functions, state receptions and cultural festivals that introduce Saudi arts and customs to the international community.

The occasion for the exhibition was the Republic Day reception hosted by the Indian Embassy. It was attended by heads of various diplomatic missions, government officials and members of the Indian community in the Kingdom.

The exhibition featured photos of India’s architectural heritage by Riyadh-based photojournalist K.N. Wasif in addition to paintings related to the Saudi heritage by Riyadh-based artist Sabiha Majeed.

Wasif, who has worked with news agencies and many magazines, caught the imagination of visitors with his beautiful photos of India’s architectural heritage. His photos included the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula, a Mogul mausoleum in the Indian city of Agra which is often seen as an earlier version of the Taj Mahal.

Wasif’s photo of the Taj was a major attraction in addition to the Qutub Minar, a victory tower from the Delhi Sultanate era, the mausoleum of Sher Shah and Toli Masjid, a mosque in Karwan, Hyderabad.

Having lived in Riyadh for many years, Wasif told Arab News, he had exhibited his photographs for the first time in Jeddah when the Indian Consulate organized a cultural festival in 2005. Over the past decade, he has organized several exhibitions of his photographs of India’s architectural heritage in different cities of Kingdom and also filmed them in a documentary.

His work has been recognized by the Federation of Indian Photography and he has won several national awards. The two artists wish that their body of work is seen by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the Kingdom early next month.

India-born artist Sabiha has lived in Riyadh since 2003 with her husband Ayaz Siddiqui, also an artist. Speaking to Arab News, Sabiha said: “In the course of keeping the light of creativity alive, I turned to a subject close to my heart which is architectural heritage.”

“Because I have been living in Saudi Arabia for many years, I took the opportunity to paint the Kingdom’s architectural heritage and so my paintings focus on that.”

“I try to capture the essence of Saudi architectural heritage on canvas, with the aim of bringing the viewer back in time and enjoying the beauty of heritage buildings,” she said.

Some of her works which drew major attention included her paintings of the Holy Kaaba in earlier times, the ruins of historic Dirriyah on the northwestern outskirts of Riyadh, the Syedna Omar Mosque in the Asir region, traditional buildings in historic Jeddah and the traditional houses in the Asir region.

Diplomats and members of the local community applauded her for her excellent representations of the Saudi architectural heritage. Born and brought up among artists, she has had access to artists from all over the world which has increased her love of art and led to the development of her creative abilities.

She won first prize in an international painting contest in Moscow, received the Maharaja Fateh Singh award from the Udaipur royal family and another award at the International Batik Exhibition in China. She has also participated in several other national and International exhibitions.

She told Arab News that she traces influences to the works of Pablo Picasso, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, M.F. Hussain and Raja Ravi Varma.
“I do not remember when painting became an inseparable part of me. I want to eat, drink and sleep with painting,” said Sabiha, who is a graduate in Fine Arts from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and who did postgraduate work in Art History at the National Museum Institute, New Delhi.