Climate change the ‘defining war’ of our time, warns Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem in New York show

Climate change the ‘defining war’ of our time, warns Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem in New York show
Abdulnasser Gharem attends the opening of his exhibition at Asia House, London, in 2015. (Getty Images)
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Updated 04 November 2022

Climate change the ‘defining war’ of our time, warns Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem in New York show

Climate change the ‘defining war’ of our time, warns Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem in New York show
  • ‘Climate Refugee’ is one of 10 new works on display in Gharem’s ‘Hospitable Thoughts,’ his first solo show in New York.

DUBAI: Dozens of light and dark gray rubber stamps form a map of the world on an aluminum board hung on a wall. Observed from afar, it looks like a painting. But “Climate Refugee” — a new work from the acclaimed Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem — isn’t supposed to be observed from afar. As one gets closer, the real message of the work becomes clearer. Tiny blue and turquoise stamps are placed in areas containing the most refugees. And embedded in the work are phrases that include: “When innocent immigrants are killed, it’s neither a moral failure nor a sin, merely a technical error.” And “Refugee camps are optimal forms of mercy killings.” And “The appearance of foreigners threatens our way of life.” 

The artwork places the spotlight on the world’s refugee crisis shaped by what Gharem calls “economic violence,” as climate change is accompanied by an increase in physical and psychological barriers impacting humanity. “Climate Refugee” is one of 10 new works juxtaposed with several older ones on display in Gharem’s “Hospitable Thoughts” — his first solo show in New York — which runs until Dec. 18 at Marc Strauss. 




‘Climate Refugee,’ a new work from the acclaimed Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem, isn’t supposed to be observed from afar. (Supplied)

“Geographical distances are no longer barriers to movement; the major refugee highways are becoming increasingly diversified, especially as we live in a world characterized more than ever by an unfair distribution of capabilities and freedom of movement,” Gharem writes in his statement for the show. “Wars are not the only cause of migration … global warming and climate change may be direct causes of the formation of new immigrants.” 

In “Hospitable Thoughts,” Gharem’s artistic journey returns literally and figuratively to the origins of his creative journey, which he says was impacted hugely by the events of 9/11. His new work, shown in the city where the cataclysmic attacks took place, wrestles with the topic of barriers — mental, social and physical —that has shaped his art ever since.




Gharem’s ‘Prosperity Without Growth II’ uses rubber stamps to depict a colorful Byzantine-style mosaic with three men. (Supplied)

Gharem was in his hometown of Khamis Mushait when the attacks on New York’s World Trade Center took place. When he heard the names of the Saudi hijackers, four of whom were also from Khamis Mushait, he realized that two had been classmates of his. Since then, he has questioned why these men — well-educated and well brought-up — were led to do what they did while he became an artist. Gharem recalls how he and several fellow Saudi artists, including Ahmed Mater, Ashraf Fayadh and Abdulkarim Qassim, working at Al Muftaha Art Village in Abha, were deeply depressed by the events of 9/11, and the ensuing US invasion of Iraq in 2003, as well as growing international hostility towards Saudis, and the extremely conservative political ideology of the Kingdom at the time.  

“We didn’t know what to do and so we turned to art,” he tells Arab News. But while other artists at Al Muftaha Art Village were painting in Western styles, Gharem and the previously mentioned artists looked elsewhere for inspiration. 

“We wanted to create our own artistic style, different from that of the West, with a different medium and a subject matter that was inherently our own,” he says.  

For the past 21 years, Gharem’s art has championed issues related to social justice, particularly through art classes at his studio in Riyadh, where he encourages young Saudis to think creatively. Artists in training there also assist him in the painstaking creation of works such as “Climate Refugee.” 

Gharem believes that we are living in an era obsessed “with demolition, production, and excessive hysterical violence” aimed not only at humans, but at all living organisms and species.   

“The defining war at the present against all living species is climate change — wrought from man’s carelessness and obsession with consumption, a hysterical violence,” Gharem tells Arab News. “In the end most wars are about the market and the means and ownership of production, especially (today) when the disparity between the haves and have-nots has reached a new apex.” 

Additional works on show in “Hospitable Thoughts” explore notions of authoritarianism and borders and their effects on our wellbeing. Overcoming such barriers in the mind and body, believes Gharem, is a way to transcend differences and work towards a greater humanity.  




In ‘Caged Humanity,’ one of the new works on display, hundreds of rubber stamps are laid out in the pattern of interlocking barbed wire. (Supplied)

In “Concrete Block V,” “Don’t Trust The Concrete,” “Concrete Wall II,” and “Participatory Surveillance” — all made in 2022 — Gharem recreates uses rubber stamps to recreate man-made barriers found throughout the world. Elsewhere are works that echo earlier pieces by the artist, such as “The Stamp (Moujaz)” (2022), a large 36 x 40 inch-hand-carved wood stamp with embossed rubber face, which brings to mind his 2012 work “The Stamp (Inshallah).” There’s also “Prosperity without Growth II” (2020), which again uses rubber stamps to depict a colorful Byzantine-style mosaic with three men, one dressed in traditional Saudi attire. But an amorphous white blob, akin to damage on an ancient artwork, erases about half of the image. 

Other works include milestones from his career: “Moujaz Stamp Print” (2013); “The Path (Siraat)” (2007); a pigment print triptych from “Hijamah (Traditional Pain Treatment Performance)” (2015). Many are about repetition, informed by his experience as a colonel in the Saudi army.  

“Orders were issued to us and then we repetitively reissued them to others. I felt the harshness of repetition,” he writes in his show statement. “What distinguishes the repetition of letters, numbers, and symbols, as well as phrases, in the stamp paintings and sculptures is that they are reversed. They represent the mirrored image, albeit reversed in content and intention.” 

In “Caged Humanity,” one of the new works on display, hundreds of rubber stamps are laid out in the pattern of interlocking barbed wire. The cage in the artwork almost appears to move upwards, as if about to wipe out several last messages from Gharem: “Here all feelings of compassion are eradicated,” one reads. But among them is a phrase that holds some hope for the future too: “A society devoid of strangers.” 


Tom Cruise to attend Middle East premiere of ‘Mission Impossible’ in Abu Dhabi

Tom Cruise to attend Middle East premiere of ‘Mission Impossible’ in Abu Dhabi
Updated 06 June 2023

Tom Cruise to attend Middle East premiere of ‘Mission Impossible’ in Abu Dhabi

Tom Cruise to attend Middle East premiere of ‘Mission Impossible’ in Abu Dhabi

DUBAI: The UAE is set to host the Middle East premiere of the eagerly awaited “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” at a red-carpet event at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace on June 26.

The film’s screening will be attended by Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie.

Some of the movie’s scenes were shot in the Liwa desert and the Midfield Terminal in the UAE capital’s airport.

McQuarrie, Cruise, and the cast and crew shot in the emirate for almost two weeks in 2021 with the support of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and other local production partners, including twofour54 Abu Dhabi.

It marks the second time the Paramount Pictures’ franchise has filmed in Abu Dhabi following the HALO jump sequence for “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” in 2018.

Khalfan Al-Mazrouei, acting director general of Creative Media Authority, said: “Hosting the premiere of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is an honor for Abu Dhabi and is also a reflection of the position the emirate holds as one of the Middle East and North Africa region’s top film and TV locations.

“We are proud to have worked with such a genre-defining franchise once again and it demonstrates how Abu Dhabi has everything filmmakers need to successfully complete such large, complex productions.”


US First Lady Jill Biden steps out in Reem Acra gown in Marrakesh

US First Lady Jill Biden steps out in Reem Acra gown in Marrakesh
Jill Biden and Princess Lalla Hasna. (Instagram)
Updated 06 June 2023

US First Lady Jill Biden steps out in Reem Acra gown in Marrakesh

US First Lady Jill Biden steps out in Reem Acra gown in Marrakesh

DUBAI: US First Lady Jill Biden continued her longstanding relationship with Lebanese fashion designer Reem Acra by wearing a purple ensemble from the designer’s eponymous brand at a meeting with Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco this week.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by REEM ACRA (@reemacra)

“First Lady Dr. Jill Biden radiated elegance and poise as she met with Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco in Marrakesh wearing a regal Reem Acra purple dress,” the label posted on Instagram. 

The fashion move comes mere days after Biden showed off another gown by Reem Acra at the wedding of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II and Rajwa Al-Hussein, nee Al-Saif, in Amman on Thursday.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by REEM ACRA (@reemacra)

It was the same gown she previously stepped out in for a state dinner at the White House in honor of the South Korean president. 


Saudi label Ashi Studio to show at Paris Haute Couture Week   

Saudi label Ashi Studio to show at Paris Haute Couture Week   
Updated 06 June 2023

Saudi label Ashi Studio to show at Paris Haute Couture Week   

Saudi label Ashi Studio to show at Paris Haute Couture Week   

DUBAI: Saudi designer Mohammed Ashi, founder of Paris-based label Ashi Studio, is set to join the Fédération de la Haute Couture as a guest member and will showcase his latest line on the official Haute Couture calendar in Paris on July 6. 

Ashi, who launched his label his eponymous house 17 years ago, is the first couturier from the Gulf region to be invited to show a collection on the federation’s official fashion week calendar.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ashi Studio (@ashistudio)

Ashi and his atelier have been established in Paris since 2018. His designs have been worn by A-list celebrities such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue, Penélope Cruz, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Queen Rania of Jordan and more.  

“This appointment is the highlight of my career,” Ashi said in a released statement posted on Instagram. “I will honor it in the memory of the great couturiers who came before me and whom I now join in the pursuit of this grand tradition of excellence in creativity and savoir-faire. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ashi Studio (@ashistudio)

“Today, I am reminded of days escaping to the garden to dream, and, of that first day, when I hired one seamstress to bring to life the images in my head. Challenging and joyous, couture has and continues to lay bare my inner energy, so that I may give the best of myself to serve its high art,” he added.  

“This recognition brings me the greatest emotion; it offers me the opportunity to share with you who I am. As this new chapter unfolds, I recognize that today would not be possible without the exceptional talent and dedication of my atelier. I wish to thank everyone who has worked to bring my dreams to life,” Ashi wrote on Instagram.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ashi Studio (@ashistudio)

Ashi previously told Arab News: “I incredibly proud of my Saudi roots … my designs are often influenced by Saudi heritage.”  

In February, the designer opened his first-ever flagship store in Riyadh. “I look forward to bring the opulence and fantasy of couture to my home country,” he told Arab News ahead of the opening.  

“Saudi has a thriving fashion scene, and the Fashion Commission is doing a great job at supporting emerging Saudi talent,” Ashi added.  


British Moroccan model Nora Attal poses for Chanel Beauty

British Moroccan model Nora Attal poses for Chanel Beauty
Updated 05 June 2023

British Moroccan model Nora Attal poses for Chanel Beauty

British Moroccan model Nora Attal poses for Chanel Beauty

DUBAI: British Moroccan model Nora Attal took to Instagram this week to share photographs of herself posing for Chanel Beauty.

The photographs, shot by Belgian photographer Quentin De Briey, show Attal posing with a pair of Chanel sunglasses. The model is also seen holding a pocket-sized capsule of Chanel hand cream and lying in long green grass with her oversized branded shades.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Nora Attal (@noraattal)

Attal has starred in a number of campaign shoots for the French fashion and beauty house in the past, including its most recent festive season campaign in December.

The luxury label released an outer space-themed festive campaign, in which a bevy of models were depicted jetting off to the moon in style.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Nora Attal (@noraattal)

In the short clip, a group of models fly to the moon on the glittering Eiffel Tower. Once they land, Attal can be seen exploring the lunar landscape while a robot etches the maison’s famous logo onto the surface of the moon.

“Went to the Moon with @chanel,” Attal captioned a carousel of campaign images.

Attal is a Chanel fixture and has walked the runway for the storied brand a number of times over the years.

She hit the runway for Chanel in October at Paris Fashion Week, where she showed off a number of looks as part of the label’s Spring-Summer 2023 showcase. The ensembles were part of a 71-piece collection designed by the fashion house’s creative director Virginie Viard.

The model had a 2022 to remember. Last June, she treated her Instagram fans to a snapshot of her 23rd birthday celebrations, including attending a concert by US rapper Megan Thee Stallion at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain.

Her birthday celebrations came hot on the heels of a sentimental moment for Attal, as the catwalk star tied the knot with her partner, UK-based photographer Victor Bastidas. The wedding took place against the backdrop of orange and palm trees in the presence of their loved ones in Ibiza, Spain.

Attal was first discovered by Jonathan Anderson, the founder of fashion label JW Anderson label, and shot a campaign for the British fashion house in 2014 before she had even taken her first steps down a catwalk.

She would go on to become a runway fixture. Based in London and signed to Viva Model Management, Attal has worked with a number of renowned designers and stylists. She has walked the runway for major fashion houses, including Tom Ford, Tory Burch, Tiffany & Co., Fendi, Burberry and Valentino, to name a few.


Sofia Carson dazzles in Zuhair Murad at event honoring late co-star

Sofia Carson dazzles in Zuhair Murad at event honoring late co-star
Updated 04 June 2023

Sofia Carson dazzles in Zuhair Murad at event honoring late co-star

Sofia Carson dazzles in Zuhair Murad at event honoring late co-star

DUBAI: Actress Sofia Carson cut an elegant figure in a Zuhair Murad gown as she reunited with her “Descendants” co-stars Dove Cameron and Booboo Stewart to remember one of their own.

The “Descendants” stars gathered at the second annual Cam for a Cause event in memory of their co-star Cameron Boyce, who died at the age of 20 due to an epileptic seizure.

The actress-singer showed up in a beautiful black Zuhair Murad fall 2023 draped pleated cape gown with gold button detailing.

This is not the first time Carson has worn the Lebanese couturier. Late last year, Carson attended the Global Citizen Festival in a coordinating look from Murad’s resort 2023 collection. The outfit featured an embellished crop-top and mini-skirt set with matching thigh-high leather boots.

Meanwhile, the Cam for a Cause  event, which was created by Boyce’s parents under the Cameron Boyce Foundation, was made to raise awareness and find a cure for epilepsy and SUDEP, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, which caused the young actor’s death in July 2019.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sofia Carson (@sofiacarson)

“Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi received the Cameron Boyce Foundation’s Youth Empowerment Award for her “activism surrounding STEM awareness, women’s rights, civil rights, and her countless acts of kindness toward others.”

“I met Cameron when we were 5 years old, and even then, his talent, his fearlessness and his belief in the power of his peers was evident,” Shahidi said in a statement. “It means so much to be recognized for my advocacy, and the work I continue to do to effect change. I’m grateful to my friends and family at the Cameron Boyce Foundation for thinking of me, as I will always be inspired and activated by their incredible work in the fight to end epilepsy.”

Shahidi attended the event in a black top under a stylish black coat with a jewel-encrusted leopard brooch from Cartier.

Last year, Carson paid tribute to the actor by posting a sweet pic of them together on Instagram to mark three years since he died.

In the photo, Carson could be seen hugging Boyce.

“Three years without you. I love you, forever. I miss you, forever,” Carson wrote in the caption.