JEDDAH, 6 September 2005 — Five well-known Saudi artists from the House of Artists traveled to Japan yesterday to participate in the EXPO 2005 Exhibition in Nagoya City, Japan.
The group of artists includes three men and two women: Abdul Mannan Hashem, Mohammad Haider, Ali Al-Tokhais, Rahma Ali and Hamida Al-Senan.
They were asked by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to choose a selection of their works for display in Japan.
The purpose is to “expose Saudi culture to the rest of the world,” said artist Abdul Mannan Hashem.
Along with the artists, a number of traditional Saudi bands are going to perform live Saudi music and dance for Japanese audiences.
The artists will exhibit about 30 paintings and 15 sculptures.
The theme of their work is the Saudi heritage, which they present using contemporary artistic techniques. Rahma Ali, one of the women artists, told Arab News that the presence of two Saudi women in the group is very significant.
“We are going to prove that Saudi women cannot only participate in any field but that they can also excel in it.”
