Artist Abbas Al Roquah paints colourful Saudi women

I was invited by my friend Hussain to attend the opening night of an art exhibition at the Le Meridien hotel as part of their Unlock Art initiative. Swanky I know. The hotel's been featuring local artists for ten years, but this is the first time they held an event celebrating the opening of an art show.

I didn't know what to expect so of course I showed up unfashionably early, i.e. on time (the other guests, including the artist and organizers, arrived on Saudi time). Luckily hotel staff saw a lost woman all on her own and somehow knew that she was too poor to pay for even a night's stay she was there for the event. They escorted me upstairs to the lobby level and I was left in a long hallway holding a mocktail in one hand and some trash in the other. (What do you do with your hors d'oeuvre once you're finished eating them off their napkin or toothpick? Do you give them back to the waiter?)

As  the other guests to began to show up I took photos of the artwork, which were all painted by Abbas Al Roquah. His scenes depict women from his native Qatif wearing the colourful traditional dress from his memories, as women across the country now dress in all black. The women, whether they are in the marketplace, village, or farm, are almost always depicted in a group. I learned from Hussain that Al Roquah was inspired by his four daughters. It reminded me of the Muslim saying that whomever has three daughters will go to heaven. 

I quite like the vibrancy of the paintings, they show viewers a different way of looking at daily village life for women here in kingdom. The sky here is often a dull gray because of the dust in the air but in Al Roquah's world they are a striking blue, as are shadows. Buildings come in bright yellows and of course the women's clothes are made of colourful patterns.

After mingling and shmoozing, we were all treated to an AMAZING five course meal by Leonardo Italian Restaurant. We ate green vegetable soup (which actually wasn't that great but I don't think anyone can make green vegetables taste great), two jumbo prawns in a creamy sauce, veal with a grated pistachio topping and mushroom jus (I know that word from watching many episodes of Chopped thank you very much), and for dessert panna cotta with berries... Wait that's actually a four course meal, unless you count the cheese and broccoli on a stick I had for an appetizer as a course. I was told that the Unlock Art initiative is supposed to engage all of your five sense and if veal is art, then so be it.

All pieces are acrylic on canvas and range in size from 30x30cm to 120x120cm. Prices range from SR1,600 to SR8,500. For inquiries please call (+966) 013 889 4747 ext. 24 or 25 or email admin@desertdesigns.com The art will be up for at least three months.