Media Center

Bahrain National Museum hosted on 20 January 2018, the inauguration ceremony of “ Between Muharraq and Seville: A Bolza-Bu Saad Dialogue” Exhibition, featuring a collaboration between Bahraini artist Ebrahim Bu Saad and Orientalist artist based Elisabeth Bolza in Spain. The ceremony was attended by H.E Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Foreign Affairs Minister, H.E Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain’s Authority for Culture & Antiquities, as well as many artists and art lovers in Bahrain. The exhibition will run until 20 March 2018, and open daily from 8:00am - 8:00pm. Free Admission.

The exhibition comes as part of BACA’s celebrations Muharraq as the Capital of Islamic Culture 2018. Speaking for the occasion, H.E Shaikha Hala Bint Mohammad Al-Khalifa, Director of Arts & Culture Directorate said “ Two exceptional artists shared the same passion and fell in love with Arabic calligraphy, and decided to come up with gorgeous art works that reflect the significance of this art form; this modern art projects, inspired by our beautiful rich Islamic heritage, breathing new life into this ancient art.” H.E added that the exhibition gathers different elements, giving the public and visitors the opportunity to explore the potential and the power of simple calligraphy to herald new challenging art projects learn more about the art’s new vitality dimensions.

Exploring the beauty of Arabic calligraphy and the mystery of the Arabic language, modern and classic arts, the collaboration between Bahraini artist Ebrahim Bu -Saad and Orientalist artist based in Spain Elisabeth Bolza creates an artistic dialogue that connects East and West through a series of collage works about the city of Muharraq.

Worth to mention that Ibrahim Bu- Saad, a founding member of the Bahrain Arts Society, was born in Muharraq City, Bahrain. The discovery of his talent as a child preceded his formal academic years and his crude graffiti on the walls of houses could not go unnoticed. He worked as a calligraphist in the Ministry of Education and took many positions at the same ministry. His works are in public collections in Bahrain, National Museum Sharjah, Jordan and Kuwait and the UAE and he has participated in many group and solo exhibitions in the Middle East, Europe and the Far East. Bu-Saad’s work, ‘Takasseem’ (2001) was recently acquired by the British Museum. Passionate with Arabic calligraphy, the artist uses also many other mediums, such oil on Canvass, Acrylic, piercing, silkscreen printing and other artistic means.

Elisabeth Bolza, who is born Stuttgart, Germany, studied Interior Design at the Instituto di Arte e Restauro Palazzo Spinelli, Florence, (Italy). Later on she also read for a diploma in Modern Literary Arabic, (2005-2009), at Seville University’s Language Institute. In 1990 she moved to Spain and since 1995 has lived in Seville. She has been dedicated to the study and research of the Islamic arts and civilization for years, and has participated in cultural and inter-religious projects in various Middle Eastern countries. Her works are part of private collections in Europe, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai, India, Australia, Mexico, Canada and the United States.

it is also worth mentioning that Bahrain’s Authority for Culture & Antiquities has planned many exhibitions during this month as part of its festive events celebrating “Muharraq as the Capital of Islamic Culture 2018”. Indeed, Bahrain’s Art Center hosts currently a solo exhibition, showing the works of artist Zuhair Al-Saeed, titled “On the Road II”, is open to public daily from 8:00am - 8:00pm,, Bahrain’s 44th edition of the Bahrain Fine Arts Exhibition, held in the tent set by BACA next to Arad Fort, will also run until 8 March, and is open from 10.am-9am. In addition, Bahrain National Museum is also hosting now “Al-Fann: Art from the Islamic Civilization from The al-Sabah Collection”, property of Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyyah, Kuwait. The exhibition will continue until 30 June 2018 and is open to public daily from 8:00am - 8:00pm