THE ULTIMATE JOURNEY_ENGLISH

" المجتمع المعرفي" تعبير بات شائعاً اليوم في العالم،لكونه استراتيجياً في مخططات معظم الحكومات والهيئات القيادية في العالم، كما هو الحال في المملكة حيث بدأ التفكير بشأنه قبل أكثر من عقد من الزمن،وتكلل ذلك باطلاق "استراتيجية المعرفة" على يد المغفور له بإذن الله خادم الحرمين الشريفين الملك عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز في عام 2013م. وها هو "التحوّل المعرفي " عنوان كتاب تضمن فصولاً من ذكريات الأمير فيصل بن عبدالله بن محمد آل سعود. فهذا الكتاب ليس سيرة ذاتية وفق المفهوم التقليدي للسير الذاتية،ولا هو تسجيل كامل لكل ماشهدتها المملكة،وتشهده اليوم، من جهود في سبيل التحول الى مجتمع معرفي بل هو وقفة رجل يتأمل فيما أنجزه،وما يسعى لإنجازه، بعدما تقلد مسؤوليات عديدة، كان ولايزال يرى أن رسالته فيها هي قبل كل شيء تطوير الكفاءات البشرية وتعزيز قدرات شباب الوطن، تلك هي الاستراتيجية التي كان سموه أحد روّاد التفكير فيها وصياغتها بالمعنى الدقيق للكلمة. وبدلاً من التوسع في التفاصيل التي في غاية الأهمية والتنوع، ومن باب الاستفادة مما باتت تتيحه التقنيات الحديثة، قرر سموه اختصار النص المكتوب حتى أقصى حدٍ ممكن، واعتماد تقنية "كيو. آر." ،لإحالة القارىء إلى مايكمّل النص المكتوب ويوضحه ويدعمه، في رحلة بين أفلام الفيديو والكتب والوثائق المختلفة. إنها تقنية جديدة في عالم النشر، وكونها غير شائعة حتى الآن يجب أن لايثنينا عن الإقدام عليها. أليس الانفتاح على التقنيات الحديثة والإقدام بجرأة على الاستفادة منها أحد أعمدة التحوّل المعرفي؟

Al Saud, Faisal bin Abdallah, 2011 King Fahd National Library Cataloging-in-Publication Al Saud, Faisal bin Abdallah Thu Ultimate Journey. / Faisal bin Abdallah Al Saud.- Riyadh, 2006

166 Pages, 32 x 34cm.

ISBN:

5 - 600 - 56 - 9960

1- Islamic holy places - Pictures a. Title Dewy 779,8

5608 / 2011

5 - 600 - 56 - 9960

T H I RD E D I T I ON 2 0 2 0 / 1 4 4 1 H

Go l d, hand made i nk & gouache on pape r 110 x 110 cms . م. �� س �� 110 x 110 ى ورق �� ل �� ش ع �� وا �� ر, وغ �� ب �� ب, ح �� ذه

Dr. Nassar Mansour د. نصار منصور

P r e f a c e

Makkah’s, nomination as the Capital of Islamic Culture for the year 1426 H ( 2005 ), is what inspired me to organize this exhibit. It reflects my believe in Art as an important tool to convey our eternal Islamic message to people all over the world. The holy city of Makkah has been the capital of human culture since the dawn of history and will remain so forever. Makkah’s unique place in the civilization of humankind has been reinforced by the birth of Islam in this holy place 14 century ago. Since then, it has spread all over the world, unifying Muslims through the faith of monotheism. The Exhibition titled “The Ultimate Journey to the Three Holy Mosques” is an important project, which I undertook to deliver a message of unity and diversity through the works of seventeen male and female artists representing thirteen Islamic countries. All of them had the creative freedom to express their ideas while painting these holy places, which have been mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They are: The Haram Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The result of this endeavor, thanks to Allah, is as expected, reflects a variety of beautiful and fascinating paintings in different styles, representing various cultures that have been influenced by their environments, societies and thoughts. Despite the differences in presentation, the spiritual message of Islam and the historical significance of the holy places have unified these paintings. This again reflects the unique power of Islam in bonding and strengthening the unity of its followers, regardless of their language, color or race. By displaying these paintings in one place, the message that I would like to see ultimately delivered to the whole world, with the support of Allah, is that the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem play a significant role in unifying the Islamic Ummah, strengthening its vision and setting out its goals despite their differences.

Faisal Bin Abdallah Bin Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud

This exhibition of Arab and Islamic artists focuses on the three most sacred mosques in Islam:

The Haram Mosque in Makkah The Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the first qibla of Muslims.

Dedication

To the ar t i s t s of the UMMAH and to my ar t i s t Layan

Faisal Bin Abdallah Bin Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz Al- Saud

Historical Importance and Sanctity of Place

Abdul Rahman Al-Sulaiman

These artists have also tried todrawaspects of theholyplaces, which cannot be seen within the perspective of modern art. Meaning, in addition to expressing their own feelings, they have included the prevailing artistic concept and also added extra images to highlight the holiness of the place. Their works are also replete with decorative arts that are hallmarks of most Islamic paintings. The decorative arts in the paintings are either geometrical designs or botanical forms that can be seen in woven textiles and carpets, some of which are used as prayer mats. In such drawings, an artist enjoys more freedom to express his feelings towards the Holy Kaaba, the dome of the Prophet’s Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Mosque. The pilgrimage to Makkah leaves such a strong impact on Muslims, some of which feel privileged to gain the Haji title. Egyptians in the city of Al-Saeed used to draw pictures on the outside walls of pilgrims’ houses in order to announce to the public that they have performed Haj, one of the main pillars of Islam. The Haj remains a desire for many as expressed by the Iranian artist Khosrow Hassanzadeh who said: “I was born and brought up in a family whose main hope and aspiration and major ambition in life was the performance of Haj.” Some places leave an impact and image in our minds, which sometimes develops into a spiritual bond. Such places will undoubtedly have a greater impact when they are part of our culture and faith. In this exhibition titled “The Ultimate Journey,”we can see a variety of exquisite work by a selected group of artists from different parts of the world including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and Malaysia. Although the artists live far away from one another, their faith in one religion and one God brings them closer. The difference in their presentations came as a result of the varying impressions they had about the sacred places when they looked at them from different angles. They presented either a picture almost similar to the origin or a modified version by adding an artistic

There is an eternal relationship between man and place. Places like home bring peace and tranquility toman especially when they are linked with his childhood. But we will have a different relationship when the place is connected with our faith. The relationship then becomes stronger and firmer as it is based on spirituality. Such a relationship generates a strong desire to visit those places. All mosques are the house of Allah and a Muslim receives spiritual enlightenment and exhilaration when he visits them for worship. All Muslim has a strong desire to visit the Grand Mosque in Makkah as well as the two other holiest mosques, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Places of worship, whose spirituality surpasses them physically, elevate man to a new world of spiritual excellence and exaltation. As a result, reaching the sacred place will always remain a wish of every Muslim. Muslim artists can paint the pictures of the Grand Mosque, the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque and the Al-Aqsa Mosque — the first Qiblah of Muslims and the place from which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ascended to the seven heavens — in a forceful and imposing manner, depicting the strong impressions the holy places had left in their minds and souls when they first saw them. No doubt that a Muslim individual will find peace and tranquility in these places by following the divine teachings of Islam. The spirituality and sacredness embedded in these architectural structures make them different. When we go through the works of the participating artists, depicting their impressions and imaginations about the holy places, we see how they differ from one another, and how different their visions are. We find in the works of Muslimartists fromcountries far away fromArabia a strong desire to reach this holy place. The paintings of these non Arab artists were based on either their imaginations or photographs of the holy mosques they had seen or what they had heard. They have painted the Holy Kaaba clad in the same black cover and the same cubic structure.

touch to the original structure or presenting them in an abstract form. Some artists painted the sacred mosques after watching them from a remote place while others drew them after having closer contact. On the other hand, there are others who painted their pictures based on their imaginations and were successful in bringing about an excellent blend of materialism and spirituality. The manifestation of holiness differed from one artist to another. The artist Mohammed AI-Shammary said he had a feeling of dignity and honor mixed with fear when he started his drawings of the three holy mosques and he tried to present his feelings in a symbolic manner. Artist Masrul Hendrik (Zul) registers his artistic impressions by reflecting the historical importance of the place. When he started his paintings, he was influenced by historical and religious feelings as he found the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem connected with the history of Prophets, while the Prophet’s Mosque with the grave of the last and greatest Prophet. The Grand Mosque in Makkah was represented by the Holy Kaaba, toward which Muslims all over the world turn to in prayer. In the paintings of Adel AI Sewi we see a totally different vision. Preoccupied by the holiness of the city’s features, he was trying to discover the fusion of holiness with monotheism by focusing on a single spot. He gave only secondary importance to the architectural development of the city. According to him, “The holy city moves around its religious center.” Artists have used different colors in order to depict their emotions while painting the holy place. We find this outstanding feature in most of the works. Artists like Dia Aziz Dia said they had a feeling of fear fromthe start of thework.“Fromthemomentmy brush touched the canvas, I was having a great deal of fear and humbleness, which accompanied me until the end as if painting had become a sort of worship.”

as Western arts. However, we can observe an apparent similarity in their direct handling of the exhibition’s fundamental theme, except in a limited number of works, like that of Ranya Sarakbi . She is one of the participants who showed an inclination toward expressionism taking the philosophy of movement as a way of artistic expression. She says: “The Haj ritual manifests that we are destined to circle the orbit and we will not be able to get out of it at all from the point of formation.” In her three works, that reflect unity of performance and variation of movement, one can observe a kind of perplexity represented by a state of continuous circling andmovement. Her works are also distinguished for their simplicity that is evident in her choice of colors and spontaneous expression. A number of participating artists considered the scene as the launch pad for their artistic expression as some of them presented what they have seen either in the form of an illustration or a symbol or abstract or a shortened form while others spent more time on perfection and details. There are yet others who tried to give their works a magic touch to make themmore attractive and impressive. Some artists, on the other hand, were immersed in thinking in their bid to fathom the essence in order to highlight the holiness and importance of the place. Artist Zul , for example, focused on the panoramic scene of the place. He was overwhelmed by the grandeur of worship when he depicted the faithful circling and praying at the Grand Mosque in Makkah as well as in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. He gave each mosque special colors to differentiate them with an artistic vision. He also makes additions that forcefully present his artistic personality. As did Dia Aziz Dia , who through his works tries to project the brilliance and dignity of places and rises with his imagination to the heavens to see the Grand Mosque in the middle of Makkah valley and Al-Nour Mountains overlooking the holy mosque. Dia assumed that “the last quarter of the night is the time for communication between man and God” and his painting of Makkah was based on this vision. He adds: “All these sanctities are united by one thing: The light of Allah.”

The works of this exhibition can be classified into different artistic genres that have been influenced by local and Islamic arts as well

Artist Mohammad Ais Bin Abdul Aziz looks at the Holy Kaaba, the Prophet’s Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Mosque from a different angle and the most illuminating and symbolic aspect in his works is peace, which is represented by the pigeons living around these holy mosques. He draws with a single group of colors with the intention of projecting his central theme. Although he looks at the places from a particular angle, his works do not miss the brightness and grandeur of the places as it appears either in the middle or in the right or left side of the canvas. This luminous quality appears more strongly in the works of Erina Conda especially in her painting on the Prophet’s Mosque. She presents a closer look while painting the Holy Kaaba and the Dome of the Rock Mosque. Conda’s works resembles the paintings of Adeyemi Abdulfattah Adeyemi , who portrayed his view from a different angle. However, his painting of the Haram Mosque in Makkah is different in color application, which is very close to one of Zul’s paintings. Zul is an artist who selects a group of colors for each work, reminiscent of sunset scenes. Shahnoza Muminova , another participating artist, tries to project the historical significance of the places by adding symbols. We find in her paintings, symbols that take us to the history of Islam and the holy places. In the painting on the Prophet’s Mosque, for example, we can see the picture of a man and a camel as if she was recollecting the Migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or the journey of pilgrims for Haj in the olden days. In another painting of the Haram Mosque surrounded by buildings and mountains, one can see horses, men and battle a bit far from the mosque as if she wanted to narrate the history of the dawn of Islam and the Muslim struggle. The works of Mohamed Korish also reflect the influence of history and word and the shining pictures. The crowds of people wearing local dresses or traditional Arab attires show his concept about the places by bringing to our mind those colorful pictures. His paintings emphasize the effect of light and movement that make scenes more lively and attractive. Korish also adds to the picture a

kind of marvelous luminosity that makes the Holy Kaaba and the Dome of the Prophet’s Mosque brilliant and magnificent.

On the other hand, Artist Abdallah Hamas’ painting represents the scenes of the holy places forcefully by adding colors and artistic decorations that resembled his unique style. He is among those artists who try to highlight their main theme through lights. Some other participating artists have also adopted the same style but they differed on the source of that light; for some it was the place itself while for some others it was a light from the sky. The portrait of Abdullah AI-Shalti focuses on color treatment based on reflection, but it took another course withwhite dominating the colors he uses to project the architecture of the places and their surroundings. His treatment of colors looks marvelous while depicting themovement of pilgrims around the Holy Kaaba. Similar color presentations can be seen in some other paintings of Al-Shalti . The hallmark of his works, which is color treatment, can be found in all the three paintings, where the artist puts specific brilliant color touches to denote the movement of people, especially in areas surrounding the mosque. The portrayal of places with forceful color treatment enhances their vitality. In the paintings of Mohamed Al-Shammery , one can observe that the elements are summarized to a great extent. He has divided his paintings into three areas with one color and same features that give only suggestions and indications without direct expressions. The artist summarizes his idea with the aid of a large amount of black color embroidered with gold in order to represent the Holy Kaaba. The minaret and the golden color represent the Dome of the Rock Mosque while two tall minarets embracing the sky with gold, blue and black colors relate to the artist’s opinion of our holy places. On the other hand, he borrowed some words in order to indicate the places and emphasize his ideas. Here he is trying to differentiate himself from the other participants who adopted direct expression concerning place and its influences as opposed to searching for the idea and extracting it through material evidence.

Khosrow Hassanzadeh’s paintings are quite different from that of Al-Shammery as he presents his ideas through graphic designs that portray sublimity and symbols. He has repeated the same designs in the length and breadth of his canvas in order to emphasize their significance. He rarely used colors but used them profusely on the holy places in order to project them as did Al-Shammery . Hassanzadeh relies on linking the main element of his paintings with the background but this connection appears strongly in his work on the Prophet’s Mosque where he employs green color to indicate the place. This simplicity and abstract presentation can be seen more in the works of Jamil Ahmed Balouch , who is satisfied with drawing only the shape of the element (the mosque) and coloring certain portions like the green dome of the Prophet’s Mosque and the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock Mosque and the Holy Kaaba, which he has drawn completely. A single zigzag, horizontal line below the portrait by third quarter of the canvas distinguishes the works of Balouch from others as he used these lines to indicate some of his ideas. Balouch’s paintings are also distinguished for their simplicity and abstract expression. On the other hand, Nusret Colpan has done his work beautifully while using a variety of colors. He presented his ideas in an excellent and artistic manner as if he was weaving a carpet. He has carried out his works skillfully and carefully taking into consideration the significance and history of the place. Colpan is an artist who does not put any border for his paintings as he takes us far beyond, the horizons of his imaginations. His mastering of spiritual engineering of the places and his generous use of straight or spiral lines and repetative decorative ornamentation make Colpan’s paintings unique as well as attractive. Colpan’s works are a representation of the Islamic Art mastered by his Turkish forefathers who decorated mosques and books with the most beautiful engravings and ornamentation. One can see many attractive points in the artist’s works but he focuses on a central element that represents the exhibition’s theme. His beautiful handworks canbe seennot only on the centerpiece of the canvas but also on its sides. In every painting

he has tried to expose certain situation through his explanatory drawings. In the painting of the Holy Kaaba he has drawn circular lines to give the impression that it is the center of the universe and the circling of faithful around it while in the Prophet Mosque he drew widening circles in order to denote that the message of Islam spread all over the world from Madinah, the capital of the Islamic state during the time of the Prophet. He portrays Jerusalem as a city of peace and peaceful coexistence by drawing a large number of olive trees around the Dome of the Rock Mosque. In his paintings Adel AI-Sewi applies a group of colors in order to express and project his feelings about the sacred places. His paintings can be distinguished by their simplicity and freedom of presentation. In all the three paintings he has used special techniques as well as architectural designs and color expression to make them attractive. He has added life to his works by painting the movement of people while trying to portray the sacredness of the places. He also tried to highlight the human relationship with the holy places. On the other hand, Nawal Mussali expressed her feelings and ideas through abstract color theme while drawing the structure of the place and the nature of its surroundings. She presents a picture of the Prophet’s Mosque surrounded by palm trees and the Grand Mosque in Makkah surrounded by mountains. She also portrays Jerusalem as a city covered with green trees. Through her marvelous yet simple paintings, Mussali takes us back to the history of the places while presenting her modern vision.

ARTISTS

18 Mohamed Korish

22 Dia Aziz Dia

16 Ahmad Mustafa

26 Abdallah Hamas

30 Erina Conda

34 Khosrow Hassanzadeh

40 Abdullah Al-Shelti

42 Ranya Sarakbi

46 Jamil Ahmed Balouch

50 Adeyemi Abdulfattah Adeyemi

54 Mohammed Ais Bin Abdul Aziz

58 Masrul Hendrik

62 Shahnoza Muminova

66 Nawal Mussali

70 Adel Al Sewi

74 Mohamed Al-Shammery

78 Nusret Çolpan

82 Dr. Arafat Al-Naim

86 Muhammed Saleh Bushnaq

90 Dr. Nassar Mansour

94 Peter Gold

98 Bill West

102 Raeda Ashour

106 Ferhat Kurlu

108 Davut Bektas

110 Adem Sakal

113 Nasuhi Hassan Colpan

116 Iwan Maktabi

Ahma d Mu s t a f a

Nationality

: Egyptian.

Date of Birth

: 1943, Alexandria.

: • PhD. awarded by the Council for National Academic Awards for thesis entitled (The Scientific Foundation of Arabic letter-shapes according to the theory of Ibn Muqla), 1989. • BA. in Fine Arts, Alexandria University, Dept. of painting and Stage Design, 1966. • Full-time lecturer and visiting professor in many higher institutes and universities. : • Contemporary Islamic collections, British Museum. • Oriental Dept., Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. • Museum of Modern Arts, Alexandria, Egypt. • Islamic Gallery, the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh • Designing and execution of interior decorations of many prestigious hotels and international airports. : • Represented Egypt at many national and international exhibitions, 1966 to 1973. • Royal Academy summer exhibition, London, 1974. • Embankment Gallery, London, 1978. • Al Ain University, UAE, 1984. • Salon des Artisties Francais, Paris, 1985. • Royal College of Art, London, Henry Moore Gallery, 1990. • Manchester City Art galleries, 1993. • Royal Museum, Amsterdam, 1996.

Education

Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “Glory to Him who did take His servant for a journey by night from the Haram Mosque (in Makkah) to Al-Aqsa Mosque in (Jerusalem) whose precincts We did bless in order that We might show him some of Our Symbols. Verily, He is the one who hears and sees”.

(all things).” (17:1)

Artistic Activities

Exhibitions

Oi l on canva s 154 x 255 cms . م. �� س � 255 x 154 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Ahmad Mustafa - Egypt أحمد مصطفى- مصر

Mohamed Kor i sh

Nationality

: Moroccan.

Date of Birth

: 1954, Fez.

: • The School of Applied Arts, Casablanca, 1974. • Professor of Sculpture Arts, 1971 to1974. • Inspector of Sculpture Arts at the Ministry of Education, 1992 to 2005. : • Oriental Art Gallery, Fez, 2006. • Lawrence Arnott Art Gallery, Tangier, 2003. • Luminoire Gallery, Riyadh, 1996, 1997, 1998. • Flandria Gallery, Tangier, 1995, 1996. • Great Art Gallery, Rabat, 1992. • Basamat gallery, Casablanca, 1991. • University Palace Gallery, Fez, 1987. • Spanish Cultural Center, Casablanca, 1986. • Miramar Hotel, Muhammadiya, 1986. • The great National Sculpture Art Gallery, 2004, 2005. • Twenty Sculpture Artists, Agadir, 1989. • Fourteen Moroccan Artists, Dallas Gallery, Washington, 1987. • Bab Al-Rawah National Gallery, Rabat, 1975. • The French Cultural Center, Fez, 1975.

Education

The holiest places in the world are the Haram Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque and Al-Aqsa Mosque and then comes the rest of the mosques. This sacredness, whichwas defined by the divine law, remains constant in the hearts of Muslims and each one of them tries to express that reverence in the best possible manner. Is there anything more noble than painting the three holy mosques with love and spirituality? I know the difference between presenting our impression of these holy places with lines, colors, lights and shadows with an artistic vision and being present at the two holy mosques, walking through its courtyards and praying there. This exhibition gave me an opportunity to realize that and meet with a number of talented and intelligent artists. We have great hope that Allah the Almighty will enable the Ummah to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first qibla of Muslims and the third holy mosque. Colors and lines here express our strong feelings and veneration toward these holy places and the spirit speaks with silent words. May Allah bless the man who gave me this opportunity.

Exhibitions

Oi l on canvas 100 x 150 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 150.5 x 100 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Mohamed Korish - Morocco محمد كريـش- المغرب

Oi l on canvas 100 x 150 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 150.5 x 100 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Mohamed Korish - Morocco محمد كريـش- المغرب

Oi l on canvas 100 x 150 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 150.5 x 100 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Dia Aziz Dia - Saudi Arabia

Nationality

: Saudi.

Date of Birth

: 28/11/1947, Cairo.

: • Graduate of the Fine Arts Academy in Rome. He received a diploma, equal to bachelor degree. • Heworked as an art teacher at Al-Thaghr School from 21/2/1972 to 25/10/1973. • He opened a private institution for fine arts from 24/1/74 to 1/12/79. • Hewas chairman for the Saudi Sculpture Art Center from 1978 to 1988. • Member of Saudi Culture and Årts Society. : • Member in the Jury for Abha Cultural Prize in 1989. • Member in the Jury for Saudi Arts Show in 1991. • Represented Saudi Arabia at the 3rd Arab Arts Show in Kuwaiti in 1973. • The “Moment of Peace” Exhibition in Paris, 1985. • The 11th Kuwaiti Exhibition for Arab Sculpture Artists, 1989. : • He participated in many local and international exhibitions including the ones held in Rome, Cairo, London, Jordan, Riyadh, Jeddah and Abha. : • He designed and carved many art works. The following are some of his best works: • Makkah Gate. • The Emblem of Al-Ahli Sports Club. • The Symbol of Human Dream. • The Symbol of Peace. • The Symbol of “Land of Nobility.” • The Symbol of Eagle. • The Emblem of the Training Center. • The Symbol of Progress.

Education

Allah the light of heaven and earth When His Highness Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah asked me to draw a painting of the holy city of Makkah I deemed it a great honor. As I started the painting, my mind was crowded with thousands of pictures about this holy land since the time of the Prophet lbrahim (peace be upon him) till the time of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). While pondering over the sacredness of the place and its history, I thought that I would not be able to produce an artwork reflecting all themeanings of the holiness of themost sacred spot in the world. And I will be drawing the feelings of my heart toward this holy city as l had spent my childhood days among its mountains. I have played in the narrow streets of its neighborhoods and prayed standing close to the door of the Holy Kaaba when I wept seeking the mercy of God and holding its black cover. On those occasions I strongly felt that l am one among God’s creatures having no power or strength except to surrender to His mercy that covers everything. I went toMakkah and l climbed themountains overlooking its valley and moved from one location to another in order to find the right spot to have a total view of Makkah with its valleys and mountains including Al-Nour Mountain where the cave Hera is situated. But the location I found was on a small mountain on the southwest of the city, which was full of buildings that blocked the view of the Haram Mosque, except its imposing minarets. The only solution I found was that to reach up to the heavens with my imagination to see the holy spot in the middle of the valley and the Al-Nour Mountain that overlooks the mosque. I assumed that the last quarter of the night is the time for communication between man and God and my painting of Makkah reflects that vision. While painting the holy cities of Makkah, Madinah, and Jerusalem I felt a great deal of fear of God and devotion to the Almighty and this feeling continued till the end as if the drawing was a kind of worship. Every city is characterized by its holiness and exceptional spirit. But all these sanctities are united by one thing: The light of Allah.

Artistic Activities

Exhibitions

Achievements

x 122.5

�� ت عل �� زي

ش �� ى القما

Oi l on canvas 122 . 5 x 159 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 159.5

Dia Aziz Dia - Saudi Arabia ضياء عزيز ضياء - السعودية

Oi l on canva s 121 x 159 cms . م. �� س � 159 x 121 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Dia Aziz Dia - Saudi Arabia ضياء عزيز ضياء - السعودية

Oi l on canva s 122 x 160 cms . م. �� س � 160 x 122 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Abdal lah Hamas - Saudi Arabia

Nationality

: Saudi.

Date of Birth

: 1953, Abha.

: • Graduated from the Institute of Arts, 1972. • President of the Sculpture Art Committee at the Culture & Arts Society, Jeddah. • A teacher of arts at intermediate schools in Riyadh and Jeddah for 31 years. • Attended a special course for leaders of sculpture arts in the Kingdom, 1982. • President of the House of Sculpture Artists in Jeddah. : • The Centennial Exhibition to mark the Kingdom’s formation, 1999. • The first Jedariat exhibition of a Saudi artist in the Kingdom, 1989. • Exhibitions and competitions of the Youth Welfare Presidency and the Culture and Arts Society. • Competition of the International Arts House, Riyadh. • Annual exhibitions of Janadriya Heritage and Culture Festival. • Sharjah International Benali. : • Displayed in many Arab and other countries. • Ministry of Interior. • King Abdul Aziz Museum, Jeddah. • Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jeddah. • Al-Yamamah Palace, Riyadh. • Roshan’s Collections at Reda Hall. : • 1st Prize at regional exhibitions, 1983. • 1st Prize in Abha Competition, 1986. • 1st Prize of Saudi Arabian Airlines contest, 1992. • The Prize of Janadriya Festival, 1990. • 2nd Prize of the Contemporary Saudi Art. • More than 180 honorary certificates.

Education

I received a call today from a man who presented this idea to us the artists. It was an idea we have never thought of although it was close to our mind. It is true that fruitful ideas come only fromminds that are sound and unique. I have participated in this exhibition with my colleagues to express our strong feelings toward our Islamic holy cities: Makkah, Madinah and Jerusalem. I have tried my best to present the idea and hope I have succeeded in presenting the vision of a man in the rank of Faisal bin Abdallah.

Exhibitions

Art Works

Prizes

Oi l on canva s 139 . 2 x 159 . 4 cms . م. �� س � 159.4 x 139.2 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Abdallah Hamas - Saudi Arabia عـبدالـله حـماس- الـسعودية

Oi l on canvas 139 . 2 x 159 . 4 cms . م. �� س � 159.4 x 139.2 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Oi l on canva s 139 . 2 x 159 . 4 cms . م. �� س � 159.4 x 139.2 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Abdallah Hamas - Saudi Arabia عـبدالـله حـماس- الـسعودية

Er ina Conda - Guinea

Nationality

Russian origin. She has been living in the Guinean capital for the last 20 years.

Education

Secondary art school, specialized in Yaroslavi. • Qualified to join the cinema school in Moscow, the College of Decor, branch for cartoons. • Obtained red diploma with distinction. Participated in nearly one hundred exhibitions in Guinea and other parts of the world, the most important among them are: • Exhibition in Guinea, 2003. • Exhibition in Bordeaux, France, 2003. • Exhibition in Nice, France, 1998. • Worked as head of decoration at Radio France International in Konakri, Guinea.

When I was told to make a painting on the Three Holy Mosques for the exhibition, I was quite hesitant because I was afraid that being a Russian and a non-Muslim I would not be able to do justice to these holiest mosques in Islam and that my paintings would be devoid of the essential devotional feelings. But when the society official insisted, I consulted my husband, who then convinced me to participate. It took nine months for me to finish the three paintings and during this period I read a lot about these sacred places and their significance. Their structures, colors and meanings impressed me. I can tell you frankly that when I finished the paintings I was astonished with the reaction of others as they highly appreciated my works. I am very honored to participate in this unique exhibition, which gave me an opportunity to present something new that I never knew before.

Artistic Activity

: • Received the 1st prize for drawing and publicity on the occasion of Guinea’s Independence Day in 1986. • Won the 1st prize for publicity.

Prizes and awards

Oi l on canvas 119 x 180 . 2 cms . م. �� س � 180.2 x 119 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Erina Conda - Guinea إرينيا كوندا - غينيا

Oi l on canva s 119 x 180 cms . م. �� س � 180 x 119 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Oi l on canva s 119 x 179 cms . م. �� س � 179 x 119 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Erina Conda - Guinea إرينيا كوندا - غينيا

Khosrow Hassanzadeh - I ran

Nationality

: Iranian.

Date of Birth

: 1963, Tehran.

I am truly delighted for being invited to exhibit a series of paintings on the threemost sacred holy sites of Muslims in the world: Makkah, Madinah and Al-Aqsa Mosque. I am intimately familiar with, deeply inspired by and personally drawn to this topic. I grew up in a family where one’s greatest hopes and aspirations, and highest honors, were to make the pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah. And visiting Jerusalem is considered a dream yet to be materialized. My immediate family and all other Iranians living in our surroundings have always revered this house of God. They have held in high esteem not only the house of God but also all other sacred places in Islam. I have done several paintings on the theme of Makkah. When working on these paintings, I used only white and gold colors.White represents peace and freedom while gold denotes holiness and sanctity. I used only these two colors in all my works on Makkah, Madinah and Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to project the most pure and sacred concepts of Islam and the holy sites themselves. For me, the culture of Makkah, the performance of Haj and visit of the holy places represent the concepts of freeing oneself from the chains and limitations of unjust and impure behavior, thought and intention. Those who make the pilgrimage wear a garment of simple, white fabric. This for me symbolizes the humbleness we feel in face of the greatness of God. Furthermore, the simplicity and purity of these garments that we wear during the Haj remind us that we, as human beings, are linked with one another in the most basic and profound ways irrespective of power, wealth or titles. I completed the project on the holy Islamic sites at a time when the West had first launched its most prolific media attack against Muslim countries, labeling them as war-mongering and hostile nations. In reaction to this, I intentionally placed an emphasis on the use of the color white to highlight the fundamental concepts of peace and freedom that are the hallmarks of Islam. It is only in my works of Madinah that I used a color other than white and gold. In the portrait of Madinah I added the color green, which represents a life devoted to God. The use of these three colors allowed me to capture the simple beauty, grace and splendor of Madinah. The combination of my series on these three holy sites, and the use of the purest of colors are to signify that at their roots, Islam and Muslims as well as the holy sites themselves represent nothing other than the most beautiful and honorable of human endeavors: peace, serenity, freedom, equality, justice, perseverance, devotion, and humbleness. And in the end, these pursuits are the only ones capable and worthy of bringing us closer to the truth that is God.

: • Studied painting at Mojtama-e-Honar University (1989 – 1991) and Persian Literature at Azad University (1995 – 1999), Tahran. • Works as an actor and visual artist in Tehran. : • Many solo exhibitions in most Arab and non-Arab countries. • British Museum, London. • Iranian Contemporary Art, Christie’s, London. • 1st and 2nd Exhibition of Iranian Conceptual Art, Tehran. • West through East, Barcelona. • 1st Benali of Contemporary Iranian Painting. • International Bank, Washington D.C.

Education

Exhibitions

Oi l on canva s 226 . 5 x 126 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 126.5 x 226.5 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Khosrow Hassanzadeh - Iran خوسرو حسن زاده - إيران

Oi l on canva s 226 . 5 x 126 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 126.5 x 226.5 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Khosrow Hassanzadeh - Iran خوسرو حسن زاده - إيران

Oi l on canvas 216 . 5 x 126 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 126.5 x 216.5 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Abdul lah Al -Shel t i - Saudi Arabia

Nationality

: Saudi.

Date of Birth

: 1952, Abha.

Education

: Diploma in Arts, 1973 Riyadh.

Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) says: “Journeys will not be made except to three mosques: the Haram Mosque, the Prophet’s Mosque and Al-Aqsa Mosque.” What a great saying! And how beautiful is its meaning! What a wonderful concept! It was the source of the idea for making three distinguished and expressive paintings of these holy places, which are loved by Muslims all over the world. I have made a lot of efforts to conceive the idea and executing it on the canvas. For me these paintings are like the soul of body and I have done the work in the following manner: I. The HaramMosque and the Holy Kaaba: I stood looking from the above, from the front and from all sides. I also looked from the roof of the Haram, from its floors and its courtyard situated in the middle the mosque and found that it would be a unique painting. I started saying Bismillah “In the Name of God, Most Gracious and Most Merciful” and then began to put the main lines and left enough space for the Kaaba on the canvas and specified its size, then I look at it from a distance to see how its background would be. I then started putting suitable moving colors, projecting the spirituality and sacredness of the place. A viewer will not understand this painting from the first sight. He needs to meditate and look at it from a distance and that is my aim. I want the painting to remain in everybody’s memory. I feel that I have succeeded in carrying out this work, which is most liked by me and all Muslims. II. The Prophet’s Mosque: I thought about making this painting because it is the most beloved place for me after the Haram Mosque and the Holy Kaaba. I believed that this painting should have an excellent color application showing movement and that should be done in an untraditional style. I used the appropriate colors: blue, grey and white in order to highlight the holiness of the place as well as the minarets from which the voice of truth comes out. In an eloquent fashion the sky has been connected with earth in order to have a coherence between the two paintings (The Haram Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque). This painting also needs meditation and understanding of the content. I believe that I have accomplished that too by the grace of God. III. Al-Aqsa Mosque: I have not seen the Al-Aqsa Mosque closely in order to understand what it contains and how its surroundings look. I thought that what is important is to make an excellent presentation of my feelings about the mosque. I used the same colors: blue, grey and white for this painting also. With quick touches I tried to connect the sky with earth. I used a different color at the entrance of the mosque to denote the recapture of Al-Aqsa Mosque. I thank God for providing me the ability and support to make these paintings as an honest expression of my feelings toward the three holiest places of Muslims.

: • Participated in the exhibitions of the Youth Welfare Presidency and the Culture and Arts Society, and the Saudi Center in Jeddah, Warshan Gallery and the Saudi Arts House. • Energy Exhibition, USA. • Vancouver Exhibition, Canada.

Exhibitions

• Cairo International Benali. • Sharjah International Benali. • Saudi Arabian Airlines contest.

: • 1st Prize, Samarec Contest, Jeddah at the Saudi Center. • 1st Prize, Al-Moukhmal contest at the Saudi Center, Jeddah. • 1st Prize of Abha Cultural contest. • 2nd Prize in drawing, General Exhibition for the Kingdom`s Regions. • 2nd Prize in Photography, the General Exhibition for Collections, Riyadh. • Best design for Coca Cola logo at Janadriya contest. • Many other encouraging prizes.

Prizes

Works Displayed at : • Royal Court.

• Ministry of Interior. • King Khaled Airport. • King Fahd Airport. • Presidency of Youth Welfare. • SABIC. • Abha Palace Hotel.

Oi l on canvas 122 . 5 x 205 cms . م. �� س � 205 x 122.5 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Abdullah Al-Shelti - Saudi Arabia عـبدالله الـشلتي- الـسعودية

Oi l on canva s 122 x 200 cms . م. �� س � 200 x 122 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Abdullah Al-Shelti - Saudi Arabia عـبدالله الـشلتي- الـسعودية

Oi l on canvas 152 . 5 x 122 cms . م. �� س � 122 x 152.5 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Abdullah Al-Shelti - Saudi Arabia عـبدالله الـشلتي- الـسعودية

Ranya Sarakbi - Lebanon

Nationality

: Lebanese.

Date of Birth

: 28/3/1973.

The city is an organism, as man is. The intricate network of passages, connecting interdependent essential “organs”, is much like the nuclear structure of cells. The field that lies between these central functions and the outer rim make up what we call a city, in biology, a cell. The city has the same rounded elasticity of cells. In biology just as in architecture, the organism is porous. Our walls and buffer zones are similar to endoplasmic reticula and cell membranes. Nature is replete with concentric models. From cell biology to sequences in fractal geometry to the anatomy of black holes, the diagrams are similar. Man has an intrinsic predilection for organic imagery, and is predisposed to build in the image of his biological makeup. The instinct for structure comes with the instinct to nest. Man’s behavior resembles this structure. The idea of traffic - efficient movement, is evident in all structural models; cells, animals, families, cities, even galaxies. All are designed for circumnavigation around a nucleus. These visceral concentric journeys are inevitable. The psyche is no exception. Man has found religion in a manifestation of the same phenomena. The voyage of life is accompanied by an internal existential reasoning -a venture to find a nucleus to orbit around. By osmosis we bind ourselves to a greater whole to find meaning and abandon the burden that is “the human condition”. This is a great undertaking. It is difficult to think of the three cities of Makkah, Madinah, and Jerusalemwithout a sense of that journey. They are a beacon for our need for pilgrimage. In our journey, we spiral away from the womb, without ever fully breaking away from it; hence we gravitate around as if tethered to an invisible umbilical cord. The ritual of pilgrimage is evidence that we are fated to orbit and never completely break free from our point of genesis and that the journey within is forever entwined with the journey without. The work presented here is but an attempt at representing the “living” collective “organism”, which is at all times vulnerable to mutation into an unknown product, like all living things, in gestation.

Education

: 1996 BA in Sociology/Anthropology, American University of Beirut. : • 1998 “Salon De L’Automne” Musee Sursock Beirut. • 2002 “Of Escape and Bieng” *Galleie Epreuve D’Artiste Beirut. • Solo Exhibitions. • 2002 “Les Artistes S’Amusent” Gallerie Eprevue D’Artiste Beirut (Mixed media on custom made wood boxes). • 2003 “Floating Stools” Nada Debs 100% DesignLondon (Mixed media on canvas clad stools). • 2004 “Les Artistes S’Amusent”Gallerie Epreuve D’Artiste Beirut (mixed media on custom made wooden boxes). • 2004 Jewelry Collection for Maison Rabih Kayrouz Beirut. • 2004 “Nocturnes des Createurs”Musee National Du Liban Beirut (limited edition of metal amulet with leather satchel commissioned by the museum). • 2004 “Resistance” Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Etienne (sling shot leather and tire-rubber belt) • 2005 “Do It”Espace SD Beirut (sling shot leather and tire-rubber belt). • Architectural Installation in collaboration with architect Raed Abillama Beirut. • Textile Experimentation in fashion items in collaboration with Milia Maroun Istanbul. • Installation “sculpture & dresses” in collaboration with Maison Rabih Kayrouz Bahrain-Paris. • Explorations in Ceramics and Forms, Beirut. • The Ultimate Journey”Exhibition in Jeddah.

Artistic Activites

Current Projects:

Ranya Sarakbi - Lebanon رانــــــيا ســـراقبي- لبنان

Oi l on canvas 147 . 5 x 160 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 160.5 x 147.5 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Ranya Sarakbi - Lebanon رانــــــيا ســـراقبي- لبنان

Oi l on canvas 147 . 5 x 160 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 160.5 x 147.5 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Ranya Sarakbi - Lebanon رانــــــيا ســـراقبي- لبنان

Oi l on canvas 147 . 5 x 160 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 160.5 x 147.5 ش �� القما على زيت

Jami l Ahmed Balouch - Pak i stan

Nationality

: Pakistani.

Date of Birth

: 12/6/1972.

As an artist I have always tried to work with those related to mankind and nature and the two represents the beauty of the world around us. I do not accept the boundary that seems to be put in the right place on material reasons. I have always explored diverse types of media that brought tomymind a variety of themes, which somehow are inter-related to one another and I found them related to me as well. Being a Muslim artist I was so excited to participate in this international painting exhibition that promotes respect for the holy places. Frankly speaking I felt in my inner most mind a feeling of innocence and purity while painting those portraits. I tried to paint my ideas in a simple, symbolic, spiritual and puremanner and I used white color as background in my paintings, as the language of the color white is peace. It also represents my beloved religion, Islam. When I painted different images of the holy mosques, I showed a variety of cultures in our religion, but when I repeated the painting to produce these marvelous portraits it gave me a feeling that we are linked together and our breathings are for the same objective and we are the followers of one God! I enjoyed painting these holy places as my involvement was like a prayer.

: • 1992 Arts Govt. College, Nushki, Baluchistan. • 1997 (sculpture major) with distinction, National College of Arts, Lahore. • Artists (sculptor – painter) Lecturer of Fine Arts, National College of Arts, Lahore. : • Cheeta Monument, Infantry College, 2000. • Markhor monument, 2003. • Twopaintingmurals, Iqbal International Airport, 2003. : • Solo exhibition, 1984, Nushki. • Solo exhibition, 1984, Quetta Club. • Solo exhibition, Serina Hotel, Quetta. • Solo exhibition (charity), 1998, Lahore. • Numerous other solo exhibitions at local and international levels. : • 1st Prize 1994, Baluchistan family lanning competition. • 1st Prize 1997, photography competition. • 1st Prize, 8th national exhibition, 2003, Lahore. • 1st Prize, Art Gallery, 2005, Karachi. • 2nd Prize, 1993, Young Artist Exhibition, Lahore.

Education

Artistic Activities

Exhibitions

Prizes

Jamil Ahmed Balouch - Pakistan جميل أحمد بلوشي- باكستان

Oi l on canvas 160 x 120 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 120.5 x 160 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Jamil Ahmed Balouch - Pakistan جميل أحمد بلوشي- باكستان

Oi l on canvas 160 x 120 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 120.5 x 160 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Jamil Ahmed Balouch - Pakistan جميل أحمد بلوشي- باكستان

Oi l on canvas 160 x 120 . 5 cms . م. �� س � 120.5 x 160 ش �� ى القما �� ت عل �� زي

Adeyemi Abdulfattah Adeyemi - Nigeria

Nationality

: Nigerian.

Date of Birth

: 24/6/1971.

Over the years, I have been fascinated by the use of colors to emphasize the scent, the spirit and the feelingof the communication that mosque paintings are meant to do. It is my deep love of these places of worship that brought the Three Holy Mosques in Makkah, Madinah and Jerusalem onto my canvas in an attempt to give my paintings a replication of the awesomeness of these holy places. The black cover of the Holy Kaaba accentuates the sanctity of the first house of worship ever established for mankind, while it brings to memory the unflinching faith of the prophets Abraham and Ishmael who built it. The green dome of the Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque in Madinah gives a deep, fresh feeling of the pure life of faith, the depth of wisdom and knowledge that comes from God- consciousness, as well as the color of the robes Allah has prepared for the righteous inmates of Paradise. The Dome of the RockMosque is covered with gold sheathing to describe the priceless nature of the “rock” it shelters. Apart from the color and variety of the three great mosques, my painting also invites the viewer to appreciate their aesthetically robust constructions, magnificent structures and sheer elegance that represents a noble quest to humbly recreate the pure divine presence on earth.

: • Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria. • School of Vocational and Technical Education. • Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria. : • Free-hand sketching, history of architecture, application of computer in architecture and photography. : • Member of the Society of Nigerian Artists. • Final year art exhibition, 1994. • “Angles of Edo Artistry”, 1996, Edo State, Nigeria. • Exhibition of Nigerian Contemporary Art, 1997, Lagos, Nigeria. • Nigerian Young Master Artists` Club Exhibition, 1997, Lagos. • Beauty in Faith, the 2nd exhibition of paintings, 1998, Lagos. • Auchi Polytechnic 25th Art Exhibition, 1998, Edo, Nigeria. • Exhibition of Arts and Crafts, 1998, Abuja. • Designing posters to create public awareness, and developing leadership training programs.

Education

Courses taught

Artistic activities

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