Memorializing the Doors of the Past featuring Khulood Al-Amri
A painting of a traditional green door in Jeddah by artist Khulood Al-Amri. Courtesy of the artist.
Art plays a powerful role in preserving and recording all forms of heritage. One such form is the distinctive architecture of Jeddah, the bride of the Red Sea in the western part of Saudi Arabia, which has been well-documented by all the artists, poets, and writers who grew up living and breathing in the city’s charms. Rawashin (uniquely-styled wooden windows famously found in the Hijaz region), for example, have become a recurring element in the works of most Hijazi artists interested in documenting the history and culture of the area, especially historic Jeddah, which naturally includes its beautiful architecture.
The Ithraeyat Editorial Team is pleased to present you with the work of a Jeddah-based artist, Khulood Al-Amri, who sheds light on a different facet of her hometown: the stunning traditional doors of Jeddah.
“Art, to me, is a haven,” said Khulood, a fine art artist born and raised in Jeddah. “I think it’s an important tool for artists to express their thoughts and feelings, as well as a chance to separate themself from the world; escaping into a universe of brushes and colors.”
Khulood became acquainted with the world of brushes and colors early on. “It started in childhood, as it usually does for most artists,” she recalled. “I loved drawing and coloring during my art classes at school, and it’s an activity I enjoyed doing even in my free time and on summer breaks.”
It was in college that she turned her art hobby into a more serious venture. Once she graduated, she became more active in art contests and showcased her work at art galleries and exhibitions—both local and international. Some of these included the Creativity Festival for Visual Arts in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2016, the Jiddah Symposium in 2019, and the From Earth Exhibition at Ithra in 2023.
A painting of a traditional blue door in Jeddah by artist Khulood Al-Amri. Courtesy of the artist.
Some artists derive their inspiration from certain subjects or areas, such as nature, food or people, and dedicate their artistic careers to mastering this one specialty. For Khulood, it’s the feeling of nostalgia that calls to her, and the wonder she sees in human beings. Naturally, this broad focus helped shape her artistic path into various phases; she would sometimes focus on creating artworks inspired by old memories, men and women, or childhood and childhood games.
When it comes to doors, even though one might think they do not evoke a sense of nostalgia at face value, Khulood teaches us otherwise.
“The redevelopment projects that started in Jeddah in 2021 were what inspired me to create my ‘doors and windows’ series,” she said. “Although problematic, these neighborhoods were still precious and act as almost a symbol of the good old days. Many of the traditional doors in the older neighborhoods of Jeddah were lost as part of the demolition process, and so I really wanted to document them with my art.”
A painting of a traditional red door in Jeddah by artist Khulood Al-Amri. Courtesy of the artist.
When asked about her art process and how she began her art series of doors and windows, Khulood said: “I would take frequent walks around older neighborhoods and usually find at least one or two doors that would grab my attention. It’s usually the color that draws me in—they come in light blues, greens, or grays.”
That, however, doesn’t mean that Jeddah’s beauty is neglected by its artists. In fact, it’s common to find an artist wandering about Al-Balad, capturing the everyday life of its people with their brushes, from portraits of people to paintings of the houses, streets, and even popular street foods like balilah (a traditional chickpea dish).
Everything became a possible piece of art.
“It’s a movement that started a long time ago and it’s impressive. Artists would hang out together as a group and live-paint the Rawashin in the area and anything else essential to everyday life in Jeddah. Some, like Hisham Binjabi, had an art studio in the area open to all artists to use for live-painting,” said Khulood.
The cultural art scene of Jeddah, as well as other parts of the Kingdom, continue to evolve, where even closed doors continue to open a whole world of inspiration and creativity.
A painting of a traditional air conditioner from outside a house in Jeddah, by artist Khulood Al-Amri. Courtesy of the artist.
“Traditional doors in Jeddah are created and decorated very similarly to other traditional doors around the Kingdom, and even other Arab countries, but what makes the ones in Jeddah special is their simplicity,” Khulood noted.
“It really surprises me that they don’t get justice in local art because they are very beautiful and you don’t see doors like them anymore, especially not in the more modern neighborhoods of Jeddah.
“Rawashin are an important part of the city’s heritage for sure, but other elements are just as important. They are a crucial piece of the past just like everything else the place has inherited.”
The past hits a sore spot for the artist, as evident by the focus of her artistic path. “The stories I heard from my parents and grandparents about life back then are a source of comfort and inspiration for me. Life was simpler and people were kinder. They were more involved in each other’s lives and deeply cared about each other. In a way, the look and feel of traditional doors from those times reflect this energy.”
When asked about her motto in life, she replied with a quote by Ghassan Kanafani that reflects her passionate position of conviction towards the past: “You have something in this world, so stand for it.”
A painting of a traditional purple door in Jeddah by artist Khulood Al-Amri. Courtesy of the artist.
Two paintings titled, “Doors and Windows” by artist Khulood Al-Amri, showcased at Ithra’s“From Earth” exhibition. Courtesy of Ithra.
