Saudi artist proves disability is no barrier to success

Nujood Al-Otaibi saw her career blossom when Jeddah’s Athr Gallery displayed one of her paintings, a self-reflection influenced by her hearing loss and inspired by the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte. (Supplied)
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Updated 14 January 2021
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Saudi artist proves disability is no barrier to success

  • Loss of hearing has not stifled the creativity of Saudi painter Nujood Al-Otaibi, now looking forward to her first solo exhibition
  • Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform plan aims to empower people with disabilities so they can help shape the country’s future

DUBAI: Nujood Al-Otaibi began losing her hearing at around the age of five. In Taif, the area in Saudi Arabia’s Makkah region where she was born, her affliction was initially mistaken for a common fever. But as the years passed, her deafness became progressively worse and, by the time she finished higher education, she was almost entirely dependent on hearing aids.

Al-Otaibi ascribes the lack of public awareness about hearing disabilities in the village from where her mother came to its remote location. “Over the years, I learned how to read lips, which I find is the conversation of the soul,” Al-Otaibi, who turned 32 last year, told Arab News from her home in Jeddah, the city where she was raised and where she now combines her work as a teaching assistant with her passion for art and design.

Living with disability in the Arab world is a challenge for many reasons despite increasing recognition by governments of the rights of persons with disabilities. Social stigma is believed to be one reason why only 2 percent of the Arab population is reported to be living with disability even though the corresponding figure for the world population is 6 percent.

Social stigma, in turn, can leave persons with disabilities disempowered and excluded from public life. Even in Saudi Arabia, where about 7.1 percent of the population have some form of difficulty, according to a survey conducted by the General Authority for Statistics, provision of equal opportunities in education and employment was not standard practice until fairly recently.

Attitudes are changing, however, in part thanks to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan to uphold the rights of persons with disability and empower them to participate in shaping the country’s economic and social future.

It is also changing thanks to the creative renaissance sweeping the Kingdom, which has given social issues such as disability a new medium for public expression. For Al-Otaibi, this climate of artistic freedom has allowed her to open up about her own struggles.

 




For Nujood Al-Otaibi, this climate of artistic freedom has allowed her to open up about her own struggles. (Supplied)

“It’s really hard in our society. People think you can’t do anything and that is shameful,” she said, referring to the condition in which persons with disabilities often find themselves in.

Unbowed by these attitudes, Al-Otaibi cites the example of Ludwig van Beethoven, the early 19th century German composer who, despite suffering from profound deafness in his later years, remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music.

“I don’t want to suffer. I want to be inspired by someone like Beethoven who had hearing disabilities yet was one of the best artists of all time. This is how I want to inspire people — I want to be the best and this is not going to stop me.”

Al-Otaibi’s artistic skills and abilities were nurtured early on. “My father is an artist and I remember seeing him painting from a very young age,” she said.

“My mother said I was three when I started drawing people and she remembered me drawing my aunt’s hair and uncle’s belly. No one knew I would become an artist one day, but my father was the only one who encouraged me to continue painting.”

She soon found inspiration in the hyperrealist movement, a genre of painting and sculpture which, on the surface, resembles a high-resolution photograph, but on closer inspection captures a deeper emotional narrative.

One of Al-Otaibi’s most recent works, “The Heart of the Kingdom,” is an oil painting depicting the flag of Saudi Arabia scrunched into the shape of a heart and set against a black background. The brushwork on the canvas is so precise that the green fabric almost seems real.

At the age of 16, Al-Otaibi completed her first oil painting titled “Peace,” which combined the flags of three Middle East countries. Another of her paintings depicted the 9/11 attacks on the US. Both of them proved problematic when it came to getting them publicly displayed. “It was really sad,” she said. “People back then had no idea about the meaning of art. Art was very limited in Saudi Arabia in the past.”

These early setbacks were not enough to stifle or crush her creativity, however. After completing school in Jeddah, Al-Otaibi moved to the US, where she spent eight years in Wisconsin studying art and design. It was here she explored her love of hyperrealism and began branching out into other styles of painting.
 




In "Heart of the Kingdom," the brushwork on the canvas is so precise that the green fabric almost seems real. (Supplied)

After a stint interning in the US, she returned to Saudi Arabia to work at the American International School of Jeddah. As her hearing loss became progressively worse, her desire to help others with disabilities grew.

“I wanted to be in a community where I could help children with disabilities like myself, and to help them reach their academic goals,” she said. “So, I decided to do art and help children believe in themselves, especially those with disabilities, because it’s really hard and people don’t shed light on it, especially in the Kingdom.”

As a teaching assistant specializing in assisted learning, Al-Otaibi helps her students identify their goals and pursue their dreams. “This is what I struggled with,” she said. “This is what’s going to keep you moving in life and I feel like it’s my purpose.”

Article 26 of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia, the most important legal document in the Kingdom, encourages the elimination of prejudice and discrimination on any basis, including disability. The rights of persons with disabilities are covered as part of a regulatory framework encompassing the systems of medical care, social services, labor, criminal procedure, legal commencements, social security, retirement and communication.

There are also a number of governmental and civil society institutions which undertake the mission of safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities, including government entities and non-profit organizations such as the National Society for Human Rights and the King Salman Center for Disability Research.

In Saudi Arabia’s increasingly tolerant and inclusive atmosphere, Al-Otaibi has seen her artistic career blossom. She crossed a significant personal milestone when Jeddah’s Athr Gallery displayed one of her paintings — a self-reflection influenced by her hearing loss.

“I never expected that one day I would showcase my artwork representing my disability,” she said.

“I wanted to deliver my idea by representing myself with no face and showing my ear in different objects,” she said. “It was inspired by the artist Rene Magritte — I love his style and work and the way he expresses his feelings.”

Like the Belgian surrealist’s most famous painting, “The Son of Man,” in which a hovering green apple largely obscures a man’s face, Al-Otaibi’s work depicts a strange, geometric dream world.

Near the center of the canvas, a hollow pink headscarf frames a deep blue void in place of a face, surrounded by walls, windows, and ghostly figures with their backs turned. To the right hangs a disembodied diagram of the inner ear.

The piece is a deviation from her usual attachment to hyperrealism — but is still laden with the same cutting social commentary, in this instance, perhaps, a critique of the social isolation of living with a disability.

Although Al-Otaibi is now looking forward to her first solo exhibition in Riyadh in 2021, details of which will soon be announced on her Instagram page, she says her greatest joy is seeing her students draw inspiration from her work, which shows that disabilities should not be viewed as a barrier to success.

“They know about my disability and they are curious about my hearing aid and they understand that some people may have such issues and that it’s okay,” she said.

“I’m really happy that the younger generation will no longer see this as something new or weird.”

Twitter: @CalineMalek


Madinah exhibition showcases local heritage, crafts 

Updated 15 July 2025
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Madinah exhibition showcases local heritage, crafts 

  • Three-day event, which ended on Tuesday, is among several Year of Handicrafts initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture
  • Elements of heritage were embodied in palm-based crafts including baskets, incense burners, and decorative pieces

RIYADH: The “Arts Telling Stories” exhibition in Madinah showcased the nation’s culture and history through authentic handicrafts.

The three-day event, which ended on Tuesday, is among several “Year of Handicrafts” initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The exhibition featured a diverse collection of handcrafted creations reflecting the identity of the local community. 

Elements of heritage were embodied in palm-based crafts including baskets, incense burners, and decorative pieces, illustrating the historical bond between people and the environment.

The event also showcased wooden artworks, including decorated boxes, vases, and household items crafted with techniques blending traditional sensibility and modern innovation.

It featured pottery pieces inspired by folk art, drawing from the colors and landscapes of the region’s geography, the SPA reported.

The exhibition reflects the ministry’s efforts to promote traditional arts, foster community awareness, and encourage young people to connect with their cultural roots.


Miniature model helps bring Saudi history to life

Updated 14 July 2025
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Miniature model helps bring Saudi history to life

  • Featuring miniature representations of Saudi cities from the past, these creations transport visitors through time
  • Artist and craft trainer Abdullah Al-Khazam, a native of Hail, presented a clay model of the ancient commercial area of Hail city at the event

RIYADH: The Beit Hail Festival, which runs until July 29, is showcasing unique works which reflect the region’s rich historic archaeological legacy, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.

Featuring miniature representations of Saudi cities from the past, these creations transport visitors through time, highlighting the details of daily life and the beauty of historic architecture.

Artist and craft trainer Abdullah Al-Khazam, a native of Hail, has presented a clay model of the ancient commercial area of Hail city at the event.

The model has attracted the attention of thousands of visitors and illustrates the techniques used to craft such works, enriching the festival’s depiction of the Kingdom’s heritage.

Al-Khazam based the model on historic sources, using precise measurements and conducting field visits. He also consulted historians, researchers, and elderly residents for accuracy.

The model features key landmarks, including Barzan Palace, a mosque, the commercial square, and various government offices, the SPA added.

Built with traditional materials such as clay and palm trunks, the model uses classic construction techniques and incorporates period ornaments and engravings, effectively recreating the city center of the past.


The UK’s longest-running Arab arts festival returns 

Updated 14 July 2025
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The UK’s longest-running Arab arts festival returns 

DHAHRAN: The Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, or LAAF, the UK’s longest-running annual celebration of Arab arts and culture, returns this month with a theme that feels both timely and timeless: “Nostalgia.”

Now two decades in, the festival has grown from grassroots beginnings into an internationally recognized celebration.

Running through to July 20, this year’s program explores how memory, heritage and longing shape artistic expression across the Arab world and its diasporas. 

The dynamic, bilingual line-up spans film, music, literature, performance, food and family activities — all underscored by deeper reflections on identity, loss and cultural continuity.

Arab News spoke with Taher Qassim, originally from Yemen, who founded LAAF in 1998 as a community-led effort to foster cultural pride and preserve Arab identity in Liverpool.

“The theme of ‘nostalgia’ is a reflection of both how far we’ve come and where we began,” Qassim said. “Twenty-three years ago, we set out on a path that was uncertain but filled with excitement and purpose. We knew we wanted to create something that represented the Yemeni and Arab presence in Liverpool, but we didn’t yet know how to express it.”

What began as a handful of cultural activations has since evolved into a platform for Arab artists. “From those humble beginnings … the festival began to blossom,” he said. “Today, we proudly offer a platform to artists from across the Arab world, Europe, the US, and beyond — something we could only have dreamed of.”

Two events stand out for him: ‘Arabs Are Not Funny’ and ‘The Book of Sanaa.’ The former, he says, “directly challenges the long-held stereotype that Arabs lack a sense of humor. It’s refreshing, bold and liberating — exactly what the festival stands for.”

The latter brings together literature, poetry, food, and a model of Yemen’s historic capital.

“The richness of this event would’ve felt like a fantasy to us two decades ago. Now, it’s a reality — something we’ve made possible through years of dedication and community.”

Qassim, who was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2008 for services to community cohesion, handed over the festival’s leadership to his daughter, Afrah, who now steers LAAF with the same vision and care.

Today, LAAF is no longer seen solely as a festival for the Arab community. “That perception has shifted dramatically,” Qassim said. “People from all backgrounds and ages attend and engage. The festival has become a space for dialogue, curiosity and connection.” As he put it, “Conversations happen naturally — before, during and after events.”

One event he hopes visitors will not miss is the now-iconic “Family Day” at the Palm House in Sefton Park. “It’s become the signature event of the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival — our legacy day,” he said. “Families travel from across the UK, Europe, and even further afield to be part of it. The atmosphere is joyful, welcoming, and truly inclusive … a vibrant, heartwarming celebration of Arab culture at its best.”

Some events require tickets, but “Family Day” — an afternoon of music, crafts, performances and community — is the grand finale and free to all.


Christie’s London to feature retrospective on Syrian artist Marwan

Updated 14 July 2025
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Christie’s London to feature retrospective on Syrian artist Marwan

DUBAI: Christie’s is poised to host a non-selling exhibition of work by late Syrian artist Marwan Kassab-Bachi, titled “Marwan: A Soul in Exile.”

Taking place from July 16- August 22, the show was curated by Ridha Moumni, chairman of Christie’s Middle East & Africa.

This retrospective exhibition will display more than 150 works on loan from museums, institutions and private collections in Europe and the Middle East. The exhibition traces the artist’s career, from his artistic beginnings in Syria to his prolific output in Germany, his adopted homeland, where he spent six decades of his life.

“I wanted to highlight the essential threads running through his career: from his iconic ‘Face Landscapes’ to the celebrated ‘Heads,’ his journey from Damascus to Germany, and the pivotal moments that shaped his legacy — including his major 1976 retrospective at Charlottenburg Schloss, which established his place in the German art scene,” Moumni told Arab News.

“Equally important is his enduring connection to Syria and the Arab world,” he added.

With paintings, works on paper, and editions from 1953 until 2014, this exhibition offers audiences in London the chance to explore the artist’s multi-disciplinary approach.  

“Over the past two years, our aim has been to introduce artists and artistic scenes to London that people here don’t often get to see. One of our deepest commitments is to highlight the richness of artists from the Arab world or of Arab heritage. Marwan embodies this mission beautifully: a towering figure from the Syrian diaspora, who built an extraordinary career in Germany, and had a big impact on modern portraiture,” Moumni said of Christie’s decision to spotlight the artist this summer.

In 1957, Marwan moved to Berlin and attended the Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste, graduating in 1963. The artist, who is referred to by his first name, joined a group of German expressionist painters that included Georg Baselitz and Eugen Schonebeck, but he retained his Syrian identity and engaged with social and political issues of the Middle East through his work. 

“For those who already know his work, I hope they uncover new depths — its poetic power, its meditations on exile, identity, and belonging. Above all, I hope visitors feel a true connection to Marwan’s work,” Moumni said.

 


Artist Dan Pearce explores kinetic energy in Doha artwork

Updated 12 July 2025
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Artist Dan Pearce explores kinetic energy in Doha artwork

  • Steel sculpture captures water dropping onto a surface
  • Doha peninsula was inspiration, Pearce tells Arab News

DUBAI: Internationally-acclaimed London-based artist Dan Pearce has revealed the inspiration for his work to mark the 20th anniversary of the Four Seasons Hotel Doha, titled “Kinetic Drop.”

Known for commissions from French football icon Paul Pogba, other celebrities and global exhibitions, the artist’s bespoke sculpture is crafted from stainless steel.

“I titled this sculpture ‘Kinetic Drop’ because it captures that precise moment when a water droplet collides with a surface, that split second when kinetic energy disperses in all directions,” Pearce told Arab News recently.

“With all my work, I aim to trigger one of three responses: to make viewers think ‘how did he do that?’ to inspire them to touch the artwork, or to encourage movement around the piece for different perspectives,” he added.

The artist, who was born in Australia, is known for his pop culture-inspired work and often turns to DC Comics, musicians and street art for source material.

Taking inspiration from the hotel and its surroundings in Doha may have been a welcome departure for the artist. “The sculpture is mounted on a map of Qatar.

“Geographically, Qatar is also surrounded by water as a peninsula while Four Seasons Doha is situated on the Arabian Gulf where I could see endless views of the shimmering waters from our room — this was also part of the inspiration behind the piece,” he explained.

As for the location of the artwork, the artist said it “could create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging visitors and guests to interact and connect with it on a social level and experience it before it’s gone.”

Pearce’s work has captured the attention of celebrities and worldwide brands, with commissioned pieces for boxing champion Anthony Joshua, Grammy nominee Rag’n’Bone Man, and hip-hop star 50 Cent, to name a few.

Ensuring his work can be understood across cultures is something that was particularly important to Pearce in the run-up to his showcase in Doha.

“With the concept of the sculpture being water, this makes it universally significant across all cultures. Water represents life, renewal, and connection which are key elements that can transcend cultural boundaries,” he said.