11 January 2021
Under the Patronage of H.E Shaikha Hala Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Director- General of Culture & Art, Bahrain Contemporary Art Association Inaugurated its “50 Years” Golden Jubilee Exhibition
Bahrain Contemporary Art Association celebrated its 50th Anniversary on 10 January 2021, at the Society’s headquarters in the Juffair area of Manama. The golden jubilee ceremony was held under the patronage and presence of Her Excellency Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Director General of Culture and Arts at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. This major art celebration event was limited to the association’s management and the exhibition organizing committee, given the precautionary health measures and complying with instructions and health regulations procedures set by Kingdom of Bahrain.
The association launched an exhibition entitled "50 Years” in which a number of their members, 61 men and women, presented 79 varied artworks from paintings, sculpture and calligraphy. A model pioneer of the contemporary art movement in Bahrain, the artist Abdul Karim Al Arrayed, revealed his sculpture, and an artwork by the artist Khalil Al-Madhoon was inaugurated in the front yard of the association. The gorgeous artwork sculpture icon event was held in honor of Al Arrayed, who is considered a leader of the Bahraini Fine Arts movement and is one of the association’s founding fathers.
Speaking for the occasion, Her Excellency Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa said: “It is my pleasure, and honor to attend this event and glad to see how dozens of creative artists in Bahrain can gather under one roof in order to celebrate art and manifestations of refined Formative Art, considered as a sophisticated channel of discourse and a universal human language of communication". H.E added saying: “We most highly value, at Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the great efforts made by Bahrain Contemporary Art Association to develop and promote arts and creativity”, asserting BACA’s support to the Association’s future plans and projects.
The Association’s Board Members, for their parts, expressed their thanks to Her Excellency Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa for her constant support to the association and the artists, asserting that the anniversary event reflects the brilliant achievements made during fifty years. The artists members argued that the accumulated artistic expertise, cultural events, exhibitions, meetings and artists’ participation in major art rendezvous, producing outstanding paintings that have, indeed, enriched the Fine Arts movement in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Worth mentioning that the Bahrain Contemporary Arts Association was founded in December 1970, when the idea of establishing an art society was elaborated during an art exhibition by Abdulkareem Al-Arayedh, who was one of founding fathers, alongside Rashid Al-Oraifi and Hussain Al-Sinni. Soon other artists joined the association after its official launch, such as Ahmad Nashaba, Ishaq Khonji, Abdul Kareem Al-Boosta and other art amateurs and they all decided to organize its first exhibition in 1971. There is no doubt that this year’s exhibition has contributed to provide an opportunity for an amazing fine arts major meeting event, gathering creative art masterpieces by pioneering well- established artists and new talented young generation artists.
