JEDDAH, 28 March 2006 — Prominent Saudi columnist, businessman and architect Prince Amr Al Faisal has emphasized the need for establishing art colleges and art institutes throughout the Kingdom.
“There should be full-fledged art colleges and art institutes here,” the prince told Arab News during a visit on Sunday to Princess Reem Al Faisal’s photography exhibition entitled “Al Hajj” at Jeddah’s Al-Alamia Gallery.
The prince’s proposal met with instant approval from Esa Engawi who heads the Saudi House of Photographers. “Yes we need art colleges. I fully agree with Prince Amr’s suggestion,” said Engawi.
The prince felt that the establishment of art colleges would give a boost to artistic activity in the Kingdom and enhance awareness about the value of creativity.
Prince Amr asserted that the Saudi House of Photographers had been very active in the field. “They have been organizing exhibitions of Saudi photographers, both men and women, throughout the world. Princess Reem is one of their members,” he said.
The prince believes that there is a growing awareness of art among the general population. “Art is becoming more and more popular. And the best barometer of that is the number of exhibitions and galleries that are coming up. People are beginning to demand access to artists, whether Saudi or non-Saudi.”
Prince Amr remarked that unfortunately the art scene is restricted to the Kingdom’s urban centers such as Jeddah, Riyadh and Eastern Province “because that is where the population is concentrated.”
“One can be sure that any exhibition that opens in Jeddah will have a full house,” he said while pointing to the number of people present in the hall where his sister’s black and white photographs taken during Haj 2001, 2002 and 2004 were mounted on Sunday night.
The prince said the media needed to play its role in promoting art. “There is a realization in the media, especially the Arabic media, that this field needs attention. It is focusing on art. But it could certainly do more,” he added.
Prince Amr said he was proud of his sister’s work. “Of course, I am proud of her work. She has put in a lot of hard work to achieve what she has achieved. Remember being a woman is a great challenge. Photographing during Haj is an even greater challenge. The most satisfying aspect is that people are responding positively to her work.”
The prince said his advice to up-and-coming artists is simple: “Your future is bright. If you are willing to put in the effort and refine your craft and art, there are people who will appreciate your art.”
Khalil Nehlawi, who has been Al-Alamia Gallery’s director since its inception nine years ago, said Princess Reem’s was one of the best exhibitions that the gallery had ever had. “We have had 85 exhibitions so far and the kind of response this exhibition is generating is phenomenal. On the first day on Saturday, which was open only to women, Saudi and expatriate women turned up in large numbers,” Nehlawi stated.
The exhibition has drawn interesting comments from the visitors. The German consul general who visited the exhibition on Sunday wrote in the visitors’ book: “Princess Reem’s photographs reflect a whole universe that one can only understand if you have seen the religious fervor of the Muslim community.”
The Swiss consul general wrote: “Thanks for sharing with us the pictures of places I cannot visit. (They are) taken with the human love and compassion we share.”
