The Art of Identity winners
First of all, Ithraeyat editorial team wants to thank all those who submitted their creations. It was a great pleasure and an honor to meet each of you through your artworks for this competition.
The magazine will be celebrating its three years anniversary soon, and as part of its ongoing mission to be ‘an ambassador’ and vehicle for creativity and art, it launched its second successful competition entitled “The Art of Identity.”
Some brilliant creatives have been discovered, each with their own unique answer to the question: “What does identity mean to you?”
Here are the winners, enjoy discovering them as we have.
Description of the Artwork:
I chose a design for the door of my dear grandmother (Aziza), because it is engraved in my memory from my childhood, the golden door in the back of her house, the door where I used to spend the afternoon gazing with amazement at the sun’s rays permeating through it, reflecting the colors of the glass panels on the floor.
This door became a symbol of Khobar, specifically Khobar North, and it has remained in my memory to this day.
The door of my dear grandmother's house, Lina Al Sikhan, graphic designer.
Description of the Artwork:
This artwork embodies the idea of the Saudi identity and its solidity despite the cultural progress achieved by the Kingdom, which is represented by the overlapping colors in the artwork. Despite the tremendous changes and developments, the Kingdom's identity is still authentic and solid. The shapes in the design represent the face of new developments and their blending with the Saudi identity with its stability, as well as benefiting from them as an aesthetic addition to the identity.
Authenticity and pride, Yasmine Abdullah Al-Zahrani, graphic designer.
Description of the Artwork:
During my journey, I spent few years in four countries, so I noticed that the country’s identity is the sense of a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions and culture. In Saudi Arabia, I saw that each region has its own cultural identity. Each one has its own musical style and traditional clothes, architectural styles.
In my postcard design, I focused on showing the identity of the kingdom by representing the past and present, and this idea was inspired from Ithra. I noticed how they merged these periods of time in interesting ways.
Between the past and the present, by Sara Qwaider; graduated from King Fahad University of oil.
On both sides of the card I used the color purple, since lavender is the most popular flower in the country and [it has become a national flower]. On one side of the card, I added the traditional Sadu prints and the Historic Diriyah and the kingdom foundation stamp with the statement (Inspire your world).
On the other side of the card, I wrote the Saudi national anthem in Kufic line, and at the corner I merged two pictures in two different decades. Ithra structure illustrates the present, and people with camels depict the past.
Passion is eastern and my heart loves (Eastern/ Sharqiya), by Taraf Al-Daham.
Description of the Artwork:
I dedicate this Sketch to the Eastern Province, the dearest place to my heart.
This is the palm tree, the mother of all palm trees " Al Ahsa.” Below that is an Aramco aircraft, dating back to the year 1955.
This aircraft is heading to Turaif Airport in the Northern Province.
Here, is the enrichment of knowledge and innovation -Ithra. Homage to the homes of the Eastern Province where you see one of the oldest homes of the Northern side of Khobar city, particularly, those on the fifth street. You could see an elegant design of Al Aqair port of Al Ahasa Province, one of the oldest ports on the gulf.
Description of the Artwork:
A postage stamp expressing the Saudi National Day, with King Abdulaziz on the back of a camel.
Saudi National Day 92, Younes Al-Aboudi, graphic designer.
By the artist Maryam Al-Salem.
Description of the Artwork:
Identity to me is memories. It is core experiences that shape you into who you are. When I think about my identity I think about my parents.
My identity is my mother brushing my hair before school. It is my father teaching me before my big test.
My identity is my mother cutting up fruits for me before bed. It is my father rushing me to the hospital when I am sick. My identity is my parents taking me to the fish market on a Friday. My father showing me the different types of fish. My mother telling me to look at the different colored scales. I am who I am because of my parents.
Description of the Artwork:
My inspiration was a patriotic poem by the poet Fakhr Al-Baroudi in which he said:
The Arab nation is my homeland
from the Levant to Baghdad
From Najd to Yemen
to Egypt reaching Tatouan
No borders can keep us apart
and no religion can separate us
I wanted to translate these beautiful words, and to soar like the poet’s imagination, moving from one Arab country to another, without borders or differences, and without racism or bias towards a country or nationality.
By the artist Jumana Abdul Fattah. An artist specializing in visual photography.
This poem touches my heart very much, as I have always dreamed of a united Arab world full of love and cooperation. That is why I chose to personify each Arab country with a person wearing the traditional dress of the state, and behind them a large golden halo indicating the greatness of Arabism. I also added famous landmarks from the mentioned countries that remind you of them once you see them. I filled the background with happy and cheerful colors using acrylic colors, which seem to me more bright and strong in their gradations, as they contain a lot of colors derived from the cultures of these countries and have a positive impact on those who see them.
My choice of old and wrinkled papers of colored paper and newspaper is because they are materials that have existed in the past and still exist and are important in our lives as the people of the Arabic language and the culture associated with it, with the placement of postage stamps that were of great importance in the past, and they are the stamps of some Arab countries.
My relationship with the painting is similar to that of the blind with imagination, how he imagines the world he lives in and the life around him. He may imagine the situation too perfect and more beautiful than reality, but he sticks to this image in his mind, and rejects what people say about life and its troubles. Exactly like my case, I wanted to imagine the Arab world as stated in the poet's poem, and as he wished, as if we were one family, close and loving, our cultures merging with their colors and expressions into one culture in all peace and harmony.
Description of the Artwork:
This painting is a painting of a traditional metropolitan couple, in the Casbah of Algiers, in traditional dress, on their wedding night in an atmosphere of joy. I was inspired by the traditions of the inhabitants of the capital Casbah (the oldest architectural heritage and the most important part of the capital of Algeria). The painting reinforces the importance of preserving the Algerian metropolitan identity. I just point out that this dress is still worn today by many Algerian grooms. With this painting, I try to preserve my identity by preserving the traditional metropolitan dress.
By the artist Khireddine Khaldoun.
By the artist Wafaa Salah. Acrylic color on paper 14.8 x21 cm.
Description of the Artwork:
Identity is what differentiates you from others. When I hear the word identity, a question comes to my mind: Who am I? As a visual artist, practicing art is a kind of exclusivity and freedom to express oneself without restrictions. My artistic identity lies in expressing my feelings, experiences and events that I share in the form of a work of art.
In art, there is a message that transcends languages, cultures, beliefs and even time. It is natural for every artist to express himself and his identity in his own way and his own view, and identity in itself is an art, as it differs from one person to another even if there is a similarity in some things, there is always something special and different that distinguishes one individual from the other.
Description of the Artwork:
Vocabulary is abstract elements and parts, which together form a clear picture of identity. Our identity as Muslims and Saudis has many vocabulary: colors, shapes and composition that make a person- regardless of his field- many details that support any work he does. My painting is identity vocabulary, each part of which contains a vocabulary that contains a deep meaning of our identity as Muslims and Saudis.
By the artist Abdullah Al-Anzi.
Description of the Artwork:
The postcard shows the colours of spring. "Basant" is a kite festival in Lahore (Pakistan) celebrated at the start of spring season where a huge crowd would participate in kite flying competitions.
Unfortunately, this festival is banned in Lahore now; but I still remember my young days during the Basant festival. The sky used to be full of colours. Many artists of Pakistan remember their "Basant" memories through art. Therefore, I got the chance to make a "Basant" themed postcard.
By the artist Sania Yousaf.
Noura Al Ashuli - Welcome dear guests.
Haya Bin Makhashen - Identity.
Reem Maghram- Our green land.
Amani Qashqari - Mecca gate.
Ishaq Madan – Burning Identities.
