JEDDAH, 30 January 2003 — When Yousef Said Amin decided to hold a solo exhibition of his paintings, he was not sure how art lovers and connoisseurs would react.

"To my surprise, the turnout of visitors in the past eight days has been good." The paintings are selling, too, "which is the icing on the cake," the young businessman told Arab News at Rochan Gallery, where his show of 41 paintings ends today.

Yousef graduated in International Business Management from the University of San Francisco in 1989 and is vice chairman and president of the Jeddah-based Said Yousef Amin Group founded by his father.

Yousef was originally interested in photography.

"I drifted into painting some years ago, but only took it up seriously two years ago. Now my passion for painting is such that if I don’t paint at the end of the day’s work, I feel I’ve missed something," he explains.

The exhibits, which reflect his passion for human concerns, are the work of a painter who loves generous splashes of color.

"I try to portray the feelings, attitudes and behavior of people. Their dual personality and relationships with their family and society. Current events such as Bosnia and the campaigns against Muslims can also become subjects for paintings."

The beauty of nature, however, is equally important.

"In one exhibit, I’ve tried to portray flowers not standing but sleeping and, above all, the faces and expressions of people in their different moods. I use bright colors to uplift my art when reflecting on such themes. After all, the beauty of nature lies in its colors, and that’s what I try to portray passionately in my paintings," he said.

The painter is always on the lookout for ideas. "I use my imagination while watching a sunset or sunrise, or flowers and trees," said Jeddah-born Yousef, whose family hails from Madinah.

"I still indulge in photography occasionally but painting remains my passion, and when someone decides to buy my artwork I spend the money on more canvasses and paints."

He is delighted that his eight-year-old daughter is following in her father’s footsteps and wants to be a painter as well.