01 March 2022
Opening Exhibition “Visual Memoirs” by Rachid Al- Araifi at the Art Center, Exploring Bahraini social and historical customs and traditions through colors
The Art Centre hosted a solo exhibition opening by artist Rashed Al Araifi, titled “Visual Memoirs: Between Figuration and Abstraction”, on 1 March 2022. The event was attended
H.E Shaikha Hala Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Director General of Culture and Arts at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, a number of artists and cultural figures and lovers of arts and culture in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This exhibition comes within the events scheduled by the 16th edition of Spring of Culture Festival, and will continue to display at the Art Center daily until the end of March, from 9:00 am- 8:00 pm.
Indeed, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities is holding this solo exhibition of the artist Al-Araifi in recognition of his winning the second prize at the Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition for the year 2020.
Artist Rashid Ahmed Al-Araifi thanked the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities for its continuous efforts to enhance and upgrade the fine art movement in Bahrain and encourage young talents, expressing his happiness for the authority's organization of his solo exhibition "Visual Memoirs”. He pointed out that the exhibition’s name is derived from the symbolic visual reflections of civilized behaviors, social practices and cultural customs in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Al-Araifi commented saying: "The exhibition is a visual narrative of the creative heritage of Bahraini society; hence the name and title of this art show”.
Commenting on his sources of inspiration and the marvelous exhibition artworks, Al-Araifi indicated that he dived deep into magical worlds of creative Bahrain’s rich culture and ancient history by addressing elements that do not depend on a linear narration of events, but rather on separate excerpts from Bahraini culture and heritage. The artist hoped that the exhibition would be admired and appreciated by the art connoisseurs in Bahrain, and that the viewer would interact and coexist with the narrative scenes around which the works revolve.
It is noteworthy that the artist Rashid Ahmed Al-Araifi is an architect, designer and plastic artist who uses visual narration in his artworks of all kinds. He also belongs to an artistic family, as his uncle was the late artist Rashid Al-Araifi in addition, the style of Rashid Ahmed Al Araifi's was influenced by many Bahraini and international artists such as Jurk Kondo, Salvador Dali, Mark Rotko, Joan Miro and Takashi Murakami. He participated in many local and international exhibitions and is the founding partner of Shepherd Studio.
Worth to mention that the Spring of Culture Festival is organized by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Shaikh Ibrahim Center for Culture and Research and Al Dana Amphitheatre, in cooperation with Al Riwaq Art Space and Al Bareh Art Gallery for Fine Arts. It presents the public with a program that includes a wide range of artistic and musical activities, lectures, exhibitions and international performances that suit different tastes and ages and build bridges of cultural and human communication between the Kingdom and the world.
