Kuwait isn't a country most people would associate with a thriving art scene. But that's all about to change with Out of Kuwait, an exhibition of 13 emerging Kuwaiti artists that opens in London this week.
Three of the participating artists offered explanations of their pieces and discussed what it means to be exhibiting in one of the biggest cultural capitals in the world.
Abdulaziz Alhumaidhi, 34, studied for a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design in the US. He moved to London after graduating to work with MAKE architects, before returning to Kuwait where he practises architecture and design at his own firm.
One of Alhumaidhi's featured works is an installation called Unraveling Without Moving, created with Kuwait's preoccupation with cars and sadu, a traditional style of weaving that conveys cultural values, in mind.
"Sadu imagery presents the local car culture as symbolic of larger social, economic and political challenges faced by contemporary Kuwait as a nation," he says. "Cars in gridlock have come to represent the resulting – and some would say self-imposed – social, economic and political stagnation of modern Kuwait."
It is these fundamental issues that underpin the artist's work. "My insecurities, anxieties and concerns are informed directly by what I see around me in my society, my country and my people," he says. "I try to channel these emotions into themes and works that I feel strongly about. I use art as a channel to vent my own frustrations and, in doing so, hopefully begin a dialogue with other people."
Alhumaidhi believes Out of Kuwait will shed light on some of the concerns and aspirations that young artists have in his country, concluding "it's a wonderful platform to move these thoughts forward by exposing them to an international audience".
Zahra Al Mahdi, 24, graduated from Kuwait University with a BA in English Literature. She is currently studying at the Kuwait University for an MA in Comparative Cultural and Literary Studies.
"What is most exciting about the Kuwaiti art scene is that it is very keen on any kind of innovation. That in turn has created a scene that would accept almost anyone as an artist," says Al Mahdi. "I think it could become internationally significant. Even though I don't think there are enough female artists, I don't see it as male-dominated either."
Al Mahdi, who will have a solo exhibition at Kuwait's Contemporary Art Platform in March, may have dreamt of becoming a scientist as a child but admits she has always sketched ("I never thought of it as a future career – it was just a part of 'being' for me").
A small collection titled False Archiving will feature in Out of Kuwait. "I'm inspired by the things that do not exist or are neglected in my surroundings," she says. "For instance, one of Kuwait's decorative trees is the palm tree – a tree that does not naturally thrive in that environment – but it is forced upon the soil and as the people's idea of a local tree regardless. I like to focus on what could be in the palm tree's place."
Muneera Alsharhan, 24, graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewellery and Metalsmithing. She currently lives in Kuwait.
"Most of my pieces tend to have a weight to them, visually or literally," she says. "They all have stories behind them but I try to see the brighter side of things, sometimes using a little humour to get the story across."
Her featured work, My Kuwait Enameled Series, is a collection of painted enamel on copper that explores identity through memory. "I tend to romanticise the past, which effectively alters my perception of now," she says. "I allow myself to believe things I want to believe and create a more beautiful world than what is true of my surroundings and of me."
It is this need to document images and memories – and how she used to interpret them – that drives her work. Alsharhan is also currently working on several fine-art jewellery collections. Although she loves traditional jewellery materials such as precious metals, gemstones and enamelling, she is keen to push the boundaries of these materials in the world of fine jewellery and finds her native country a constant muse.
"Kuwait is my home yet I feel like I am just starting to know and understand it," she says. "I feel like I can freely question it. It is my country and there is so much to explore and comment upon."
• Out of Kuwait is taking place at Edge of Arabia, London, from November 15 to 28, 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays. There is an exhibition discussion tomorrow from 2pm to 5pm. Admission is free. Visit edgeofarabia.com for more information
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Kuwaiti artists go under the spotlight
Out of Kuwait is an exhibition in London featuring 13 emerging Kuwaiti artists whose work is a direct response to the social, political and physical landscapes of their country.
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