This image appeared in the Arts and Culture section in the Arab News. Can you believe it? The article covered the artwork by Saudi artist
Qaswra Hafez. I actually have it ripped out and taped to my bedroom wall. It depicts a person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask and a
shomagh without the
agal.
I love the rebellion that he was able to capture, and even more, I love that the Saudi newspaper Arab News decided to print it! For those of you that don’t quite get the importance of this newspaper printing this image, Guy Fawkes was one of the conspirators behind the Gunpowder Plot, which was meant to take down the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster. So having millions of people living in one of the most repressive countries in the world view art about anarchism, which is really his legacy, is pretty defiant.
 |
| "Sad clown (Chapter 1)" |
 |
| "Bird cage (Chapter 2)" |
Hafez's most recent work that I can find online is an installation he did for
Jeddah Art Week in 2012 made from LED bulb lamps on acrylic and wood.
 |
"Enlightenment"
|
For the latter piece, the artist said that he was inspired during the Arab Spring by the youth and their use of technology and communication to connect and
collaborate with one another. I personally like the shomagh pieces better but after I learned what the inspiration was for the LED ones, it gave me more time to sit and think upon them. And art that makes you think is kinda getting at the point of what art is for don’t ya think? Anyways, I’d love to be able to see more of Qaswra’s work. Seriously. I am mildly worried that someone got to him and he’s being kept in a jail cell a la the graphic novel and the 2006 movie
V for Vendetta. What do you think of his works of art? What’s some artwork that you like from Saudi artists?
Let me know in the comments section below!
No comments:
Post a Comment