Lara Al Abbasi and Maria Knowles are the duo behind Alabaster & Cannoli — a cultural bridge representing the modern food world from two people who came together through connecting their cultures, values and food heritage. The team graduated from Johnson & Wales University, holding bachelors in Food Service Management with Lara specializing in Culinary Arts and Maria in Baking & Pastry. Growing up on small islands, their friendship brought the cultures of The Bahamas and Bahrain together. Hyper-feminine in terms of aesthetics as a statement on female chefs “taking up space” in a male dominated industry, they strive to make their treats accessible by taking a special interest in curating dishes for those with allergies and dietary restrictions. The duo have gained key insights on the similarities and differences of their food heritage, and an understanding on how the societal past and present shapes food.
Salman Al Najem is an artist with a MA in Fine Art from the Royal College of Art and BA Interior & Spatial from University of the Arts London, LCC. Al Najem has exhibited around the world in places such as: London, Paris, Milan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and more. Salman’s work is an exploration of internal thoughts and feelings that are not always bound to words. Salman tries to disentangle these complex spiritual, mystical and societal matters and present them in a simple way. This is done by creating complex paintings in a simple way using common symbols from popular culture and/or contemporary life. Salman works with industrial materials and paints as a way to reject the notion of “fine” art to make space to counterbalance the use of heavy-duty ideas, illuminating the importance of self mastery, spiritual connectivity, virtuousness and environmental sustainability.
About the Location:
Sheikh Salman bin Ahmed Al-Fateh Fort, commonly known as Riffa Fort due to its location in Riffa, is a historic landmark and stands witness to one of the most important junctures in Bahrain’s history. Within its beautiful architecture lives the memory of the ruling family of Bahrain, the Al Khalifas. A series of programs organized by the Ministry of Culture have brought life back to the fort and not only present a chronological history of the Al Khalifa family but showcase the interior space designed by the French firm, La Meduseand the local engineering firm, PAD, which took its inspiration from the fort’s history and people.
The fort also houses the Saffron Café, which overlooks the picturesque Al-Haniniya Valley, offering visitors the perfect ambience created by the site’s history and environment.
Registration Form
