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
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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.” 


Gigi Hadid walks the Versace runway in Milan

Gigi Hadid walks the Versace runway in Milan
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Gigi Hadid walks the Versace runway in Milan

Gigi Hadid walks the Versace runway in Milan

DUBAI: US-Dutch-Palestinian model Gigi Hadid this week graced the Versace runway in a yellow dress during Milan Fashion Week.

The catwalk star wore a slinky gown with a cowl neckline and a thigh-high slit from the Italian luxury label’s spring/summer 2024 collection.

Hadid was joined by Dutch-Moroccan-Egyptian model Imaan Hammam. She wore a black form-fitting dress with a low back.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Versace (@versace)

Donatella Versace tapped the Barbie zeitgeist with a collection that managed to be both girlish and sophisticated.

In Versace’s Barbie world, gingham and checks were the stars, in mostly pastels, the perfect palette for straight mini-dresses, flouncy shorts and collarless skirt suits, featuring pretty details such as covered buttons and bow-shaped barrettes.

For Power Barbie, there were black-and-white check suits, leather combos and cocktail dresses, worn with an open-toe heel that pulled up into a leather sock.


Review: ‘Wrestlers’ deserves to be Netflix’s latest breakout hit

Review: ‘Wrestlers’ deserves to be Netflix’s latest breakout hit
Updated 23 September 2023
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Review: ‘Wrestlers’ deserves to be Netflix’s latest breakout hit

Review: ‘Wrestlers’ deserves to be Netflix’s latest breakout hit
  • Documentary on the Ohio wrestling scene is bursting with heart

LONDON: The mark of a great documentary is when audiences feel like they’ve learned something — when a hitherto unexplored world is examined and explained in a way that makes sense or interrogated and investigated in order to shed new light on things previously unseen. A truly phenomenal documentary, however, not only does all of the above, but it makes viewers actually care about the world they’re exploring.

Netflix’s “Wrestlers” is a remarkable piece of filmmaking. Director Greg Whiteley (“Last Chance U,” “Cheer”) and his team have created an emotional, intimate look inside the world of the Ohio Valley Wrestling league. Once the pathway to the big time (with alumni that include Brock Lesnar, The Miz, John Cena, Dave Bautista, Randy Orton and others), OVW is struggling to make ends meet. New investors Matt Jones and Craig Greenberg have rescued the franchise, for now, but find themselves in conflict with owner (and legendary wrestler) Al Snow, as their desire to increase revenue and marketability comes up against Snow’s uncompromising commitment to crafting storylines and matches of the utmost quality.

“Wrestlers” is directed by Greg Whiteley. (YouTube)

Whiteley takes us deep into the lives of Snow, the new owners, and the wrestlers — standouts include Cash Flo, Shera and Haley J, but there are so many fascinating characters at the heart of OVW that seven episodes don’t feel even close to enough. By showing us their lives, and just how much wrestling means to them, the day-to-day grind of keeping the league afloat feels uncompromisingly real. It’s genuinely heartbreaking to see the efforts of Snow and his roster of wrestlers draw in just a few extra attendees, and it’s jaw-droppingly uncomfortable to get a firsthand glimpse of the stresses Jones and Snow are under as they reach the culmination of OVW’s summer tour.

To reveal anything more would undermine the gravitas of the season finale, which deserves to be seen far and wide. “Wrestlers” is a remarkable show. Whether or not you care about wrestling at the start, you’ll care about the people behind OVW by the time the curtain drops on season one. Here’s hoping there’s more in store.


Beyonce champions Georges Hobeika on tour for third time 

Beyonce champions Georges Hobeika on tour for third time 
Updated 22 September 2023
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Beyonce champions Georges Hobeika on tour for third time 

Beyonce champions Georges Hobeika on tour for third time 

DUBAI: US pop superstar Beyonce championed Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika during her Renaissance World Tour stop in Dallas this week — the third time she has sported a Hobeika design during her current tour. 

The multi-award-winning singer selected a glitzy turquoise gown embellished with silver Swarovski crystals from the couturier’s Fall 2023 collection.

The first time Beyonce wore one of Hobeika’s designs was in June when she performed in Cologne, Germany. On that occasion, she wore a custom-made catsuit embellished with nude-illusion panels, pearls and silver sequins. The 41-year-old singer paired the ensemble with black velvet gloves, thick-heeled pumps and custom Tiffany & Co. jewelry.

In July, at her New Jersey show, Beyonce wore a fully embroidered dress — crafted from pink tulle — featuring shimmering crystals and completed the look with tulle gloves and a beaded headpiece made entirely of 3D embroidered flowers. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by JAD HOBEIKA (@jadhobeika)

Hobeika is not the only Arab designer whose outfits Beyonce has selected for her tour. She also showed off a gown from Omani label Atelier Zuhra in Las Vegas and one from Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran in St. Louis, Missouri. 


Georgina Rodriguez wears green abaya for Saudi National Day

Georgina Rodriguez wears green abaya for Saudi National Day
Updated 22 September 2023
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Georgina Rodriguez wears green abaya for Saudi National Day

Georgina Rodriguez wears green abaya for Saudi National Day

DUBAI: Georgina Rodriguez, the Argentine model and long-term partner of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, was spotted this week shopping at the Saudi fragrance brand Laverne in Riyadh wearing a green abaya just in time for Saudi National Day.

The “I am Georgina” star also held the Kingdom’s flag in honor of the country’s 93rd national day.

Georgina Rodriguez was spotted shopping at Laverne. (Twitter)

Rodriguez has previously collaborated with the Saudi perfume label on a campaign in March that promoted the scent, Blue Laverne. In the clip, she answered candid questions about her time in the Kingdom.

Riyadh-based Rodriguez said: “I feel very safe in this country and really appreciate its family values.

“I felt very happy to be able to connect with this heaven on Earth. The power and magic that is in the Saudi desert is incredible,” she said when asked her thoughts on visiting the country’s desert region earlier this year.


Saudi models show off high-street fashion in Milan

Saudi models show off high-street fashion in Milan
Updated 22 September 2023
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Saudi models show off high-street fashion in Milan

Saudi models show off high-street fashion in Milan
  • Hala Abdallah and Lama Al-Akeel joined by Iraqi fashion influencer Deema Al-Asadi at events in Italy

DUBAI: Saudi fashionistas Hala Abdallah and Lama Al-Akeel jetted to Milan this week to attend the city’s much-awaited fashion week.

Abdallah and Al-Akeel, who were joined by Dubai-based Iraqi fashion influencer Deema Al-Asadi, attended the Max Mara show.

Abdallah wore a burnt orange, flowy dress with cut outs around the chest and added a large leather belt around her waist.

Al-Akeel stepped out in a beige Max Mara suit with a maroon undershirt. Al-Asadi also opted for a full look by the Italian brand, wearing a printed green skirt and blazer set.

The three regional style stars met with Lebanese bloggers and entrepreneurs Karen Wazen and Nathalie Fanj at the show.

The renowned brand tapped part-Arab models Nora Attal and Imaan Hammam to walk the runway.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Max Mara (@maxmara)

Hammam turned heads in a camel-colored velvet set that featured hot shorts and short-sleeved blazer.

Attal walked the runway in a pinkish-purple jumper with a matching shirt layered underneath and pink hot shorts.

Hammam and Attal were joined by Danish model Mona Tougaard — who is of Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian descent. She wore a pink coat dress that was also paired with a pink shirt.

Abdallah and Al-Asadi then hopped on to the Moschino show. Abdallah donned a sequined mini dress that read “In love we trust,” while Al-Asadi wore a white t-shirt dress with a gold sequined blazer, black boots and a red clutch.

British-Moroccan model Nora Attal walked the Moschino show. She graced the runway in off-white tailored pants, a white t-shirt, a black blazer, a white heart-shaped clutch, and had her hair wrapped in a turban. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by HALA (@thehala)

For the Moschino show, fashion designer Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele created a high-low, mix-match collection that can go anywhere and suit any woman. Gabriella Karefa-Johnson tapped a rap vein with high-energy hip looks featuring ruffled, tiered skirts, denim and granny squares that were size-inclusive.

“What a show,” wrote Al-Asadi on Instagram after the event.

Abdallah attened the Prada show in Milan. (Getty Images)

Abdallah could not miss Italian luxury brand Prada’s show. On Instagram she wrote that she enjoyed the “cape and shoulder pads,” the fringe details, the “angelic flow fabrics” and the unique sleeve designs.