Mona Al Munajjed holds exhibit of her art collection

Mona Al Munajjed held recently a three-day exhibit of some 60 paintings from her private collection at the Residence of French Ambassador Bertrand Besancenot inside the Diplomatic Quarter (DQ).
The French Ambassador graced the opening day expressing his appreciation for the artworks which included the paintings of Mona AlMunajjed as well as other Arab artists, saying that the exhibit “allows us to start celebrating this March, at the same time, Art, Women and Francophonie.”
Regarding Al Munajjed , he said, “Her love for painting as artist and collector, was born of a personal vocation she was able to combine with her career.” He added that “she was encouraged in that matter by her late father Salahuddin Al Munajjed who was a collector of old manuscripts and illuminations as well as by her brother Zaher.”
If many were captivated by the rich effusions of colors to portray an image or place or to put a message across, it’s because Al Munajjed is by nature a veritable artist from an early age.
She began drawing at school and then painting at Montmartre during her studies in France. That explains her fluency with the French language. She also discovered Italian painters ahead of contemporary Arab artists, and started collecting Iraqi paintings which were included in the exhibit.
Among other artists whose works were included in the show were Saudis, Lebanese, Syrians and Sudanese painters. The subjects were varied but what united them were the warm and strong colors that the artist particularly appreciates.
The paintings on display were in acrylics, mixed media, oil on canvas, acrylics and oil, mixed media and collage, and aquarelle on paper. They drew high appreciation from the guests who included diplomats.
Ambassador Besancenot told the guests during the opening that “Mona’s paintings are alive because they reflect the soul of the painter at a particular moment of his life, and it is always related to his personal history.”
In fact, Al Munajjed’s own artworks which are paintings on silk are a successful blend of expressionism and impressionism and have a deep sense of powerful and vibrant colors.
The paintings reflect her view of life. Some showcase typical Saudi traditional houses but she also shows her awareness of contemporary events in her milieu like in “Pink Desert” or the “Blooming Desert”.
Commenting on her own work, Al Munajjed said: “It is really a challenge to paint on silk. You need a lot of control, patience and practice. You also have to know how to mix the colors and give a nice reflection.”
She added: “I try to bring the Arabic Culture and Saudi heritage to silk. I paint a lot of arches, minarets, mosques and cultural symbols. My paintings are a mixture of modern and oriental.”
The “Pink Desert” brings to mind a fiery desert, where a storm takes place, while the latter work conjures up green vegetation amid a vast desert land.
Her other works were entitled “The Coffee Pot”, “Labyrinth”, “House in Jeddah”, “Women”, “Blue Mosque”, “Najran”, and “Beauty on a Camel”.
One of the guests commented: “Being an Arab myself, I can easily relate with the artworks of Mona. Even if she doesn’t talk about them, I know that she has captured in her work subjects that she’s very familiar with and it would be a very good idea for collectors to include some of her paintings in their collections.”
AlMunajjed is a Ph.D in Sociology from George Washington University and has worked for several years in United Nations agencies on social issues including gender, women and development in the Arab world.” She has written extensively about the role of Saudi women and has published many articles and books on the subject.
The art exhibit was indeed a welcome event. It engendered productivity and creativity among local painters and was a good reflection of Arab Art and Painters.