Happy Birthday PCME!

lolriot.com

Well, it's been one year since I started this blog. It's grown and evolved and frankly, it saved my life. It gave me purpose when I was lost.

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.

Artists, don't be afraid to show us your rough draft

All artists keep a sketchpad to illustrate ideas and to practice drawing. The "Sketchat" group art exhibition said it would give me a peek into this world.

My beautiful work of art (view it now before it becomes famous)

Like I said in the post on my visit to Al Rashid Mall’s Ceramique A La Carte Cafe “paint your own pottery cafe,” I'd show you my artwork once it was done being fired in the kiln. Et voila!

Ceramic zombie heads and Khobar’s "paint your own pottery" cafe

Desperate to do something different, my friends and I went to a ceramics cafe in Al Rashid Mall. It's a place where you can sit down and order food, all while painting your own pottery. On their Facebook page the cafe markets itself as a kid friendly place, but after double checking that they did in fact sell food and ceramic items to those who've gone through puberty, my friends and I indulged our inner five-year-olds and painted zombie faces.*

What happens when urban goes corporate

Tucked away in a little corner on one of the Amwaj Islands, you can find a creative space called Malja. Calling itself a hub for contemporary artists, designers, and musicians, the Malja building is relatively new, only opening its doors at the end of January. Owned by Red Bull, the space is multi-purpose as it has a gallery, DJ's stage, recording studio and a small art/dance room inside.

Mathaq: Who needs men when there is food and art

It's not often that there are public, outdoor events focused on art, food, and crafts in Saudi so when one rolls around, it's very popular. On March 14 and 15 female small business owners and artists set up booths and showed off their wares at Mathaq: Taste of Art and Food, an event held in Prince Saud Bin Naif Garden. It was a family event, meaning no single men were allowed to attend, other than participating artists and food vendors.

"I swear to God I'm thinking of you": Desert Designs' Collection

Desert Designs Art Gallery

On March 9 Khobar's go-to hub for expats and their home decor needs Desert Designs, put up a collection of artworks by Eastern Province artists. Hussein Al-Mohasen, Jassim Al-Dhamin, Nada Farhat and Hussain Ismail all contributed works from 2008 to the present. 

"Memories of Jasmine": When an artist paints his home

Abdulwahab Otif is from Jizan, Saudi Arabia. That may not mean much to you dear reader, but it does, a whole lot, to Otif.

The Mask: Saudi painter explores the idea of exposing one's self

Desert Designs

Amnah Yaqoub displayed her artwork at the Desert Designs Art Gallery from February 12th to the 15th. Her exhibit, which she chose to call "Hidden," was a series of paintings exploring the idea that everyone wears a mask, even from themselves. 

“I want things to be better, this is how I fight. This is my gun.”

latuffcartoons.wordpress.com

Khalid Albaih is a Sudanese political cartoonist living and working in Qatar as the head of installation and design for public art at Qatar Museums. His cartoons were used by protesters in Cairo, Sanaa, Tripoli, and Tunis. On Sunday I interviewed the artist about the French publication Charlie Hebdo, Arab politics, and what he thinks the future holds for Sudan, the Middle East, and for his own family.

A day in Bahrain Part 2: Art attack

sketchbookmagazine.com

If you're here because you thought the beloved 90s kid's show somehow had a reprisal in Bahrain, then you're sorely mistaken and I apologize for the click bait. If you're here because you read A day in Bahrain Part 1, then great and thanks for being a faithful reader.

A day in Bahrain Part 1: Burial mounds and the female figure

BBC

Good afternoon beautiful people!

Where did you all go for Eid break? I stayed in Saudi like all the cool kids, but I was able to go to Bahrain for some site seeing. Site seeing in Bahrain?! Yes, it is possible.

How I learned to appreciate the humble mug

If you read "A guide to Al-Khobar part 3" then great. If not, then go read it.

Want to know how a 3D printer works? Then look no further!

Makerbot 3D printer

Recently there's been hype about 3D printers and it's ranged from the good to the bad. They'll either be the technology that saves us all from ourselves, allowing us to go to the local 3D printer for what we need, or they'll be the death of us, what with hooligans producing guns at home.

A guide to Al-Khobar Part 3: Combining coffee and art

acoustic-tealounge.com

I haven't written a non-Internet related piece in a while, so last night I tried out a place my friend recommended. It was good to get off my butt and explore!

A guide to the city of Al-Khobar Part 2

amaniism.com

As promised, I said that I would provide a review for the LOUD Art Exhibition. Hosted at Desert Designs from May 29 to June 7, this is the art event's third year.

A guide to the city of Al-Khobar Part 1

pinoy-ofw.com

Last night I met up with my newest friend Afnan, whom I met at the Cultural Night. Now I have a total of three friends here! Yessssss.

Here's some Saudi artwork that I like

                                          Arab News

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.

A (sort of) ComicCon in Bahrain

Over the weekend I attended ComiX, a comic convention hosted in Bahrain. While it was 1/16th the size of Dubai's recent Comic Con, I still felt like the noob of noobs. Here are some photos of me not fitting in with nerds.