JEDDAH, 30 January — An exhibition of paintings by an Arab artist was jointly opened by French Consul General Alain Azouaou and Hisham A. Binjabi, chairman of the House of Artists, General Presidency of Youth Welfare, at the consulate premises in Jeddah on Saturday evening.
Eighteen exhibits, all abstract paintings, by Awad Abou Salah, a Sudanese resident of the city, show a blend of traditional and modern art. Exhibits range in subject matter from Arabian motifs to African dance, from landscapes to desert life. Azouaou said the show depicted a combination of Arab and Islamic tradition and culture as well as modern life.
"This is the first exhibition in the consulate's new multipurpose hall by an Arab artist. The show marks a new trend from a gifted artist who belongs to a new generation of artists," the consul general added.
Binjabi said France was the world's leading center for art and artists and the exhibition of the Arab artist in the consulate showed the tremendous interest of the local French community in promoting art, and encouraging and giving exposure to artists.
Salah said he had used his imagination and interpretation of traditional and modern life in his paintings. "My abstract paintings are full of these and that's why I'm exhibiting them all in my show," he said.
The exhibition, which is the fifth solo show of this Sudanese artist who has been in the Kingdom for the last 18 years, is to run until Feb. 7. The artist, who works as a designer in local a company, began his career in Khartoum with a solo show. He subsequently moved to Jeddah and held three more shows including one in the Sudanese capital.
