Chronicles of Khobar in Canvas

Back in 1978, when I was still in Korea, I heard that there was a lot of construction work in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East that changed the cities’ landscape to build more buildings and malls. And there were a lot of European and American engineers moving here with their families, which felt like a gold rush.

And when some came to Korea, I heard about art opportunities and worked on some art pieces for Saudi culture based on images. Seven years later, I wanted to see Saudi for myself, and have a real tour. That’s why I came here and visited Saudi Arabia.

Later in 1990, the owner of this gallery visited Korea to see me and told me about job opportunities for engineers in Saudi, and that Aramco is hiring. And he encouraged me to move and do my art there and display my paintings in the market. That’s when I moved here back in February 1990 and have stayed here ever since. And one year later, my wife and three kids moved here with me.

I began by painting based on photos I have, or got from my supporters. Then, I started going to places like Jubail industrial area, or cultural landscapes like in Qatif, Al-Ahsa, then I took photos for certain locations from different angles to help me with the illustration, and as an inspiration.

I turn to old photos of the area for my paintings. Some of my paintings were inspired by old photography like King Khalid St. in Khobar that was taken back in 1943, or old Jeddah. And sometimes I make changes while painting, like changing the color or the people that were in the photos.

Sometimes, I change my mind and style for new illustrations, and use different painting styles like watercolors for different art pieces. A technique that I used is applying Korean and Asian style to Saudi and middle eastern portraits, caravans, and other art pieces.

Over 30 years ago, people invested more in engineering and construction, and much less on art. And most of my customers at the time were Americans and Europeans, and maybe only 5% or 10% of them were Saudis. Now things have changed, and 80% or 90% of my customers are Saudis. The younger generation now showed more interest in art, especially mine. And part of this because they’re curious about this Korean guy who came here over 35 years ago, only drawing Saudi landscapes and culture, which they find interesting.

I like the social life here in Saudi. People are very kind, and the air is very clean and clear, and life here is very simple. 

This simplicity allowed me to research better to make some good paintings, and how to deliver deep and good emotions through art.

I didn’t think that I'd stay here for 30 years, and have my children grow here, but Saudi became my second home now after Korea.

When I first moved here, it was much simpler, and wasn’t as crowded as it is now with cars. And with new generations coming over time, and with more construction, things keep changing. 

Khobar now feels like a new and big city compared to when I first moved, when there were a lot of deserted areas. Back then things were different. No internet, no Wi-Fi, no phones; only fax and landlines. Even when it came to airports, we only had Dhahran airport before now having King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. And I had witnessed the building of the Causeway between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.