Mariam Nihal

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – Using art as a means of addressing social concerns, the young artists of Saudi Arabia have helped play a large part in making our lives substantially rich and refined.



Born and raised in Jeddah, Huda Beydoun, is part of that generation. Beydoun studied graphic design and photography at Dar Al-Hekma College. She believes artists should play an influential role in adding artistic value to society. “By doing so, it uplifts people’s spirits and adds colors to their lives.”



She said artists are known for expressing “issues or events of our country through the means of art.”



Beydoun chose a different course and obtained a degree in special education, majoring in Autism Spectrum Disorders.



She was also a behavior therapist for children with Autism and worked as an art teacher.



While acrylic painting was her first approach to art and means of expressionism, she said: “I’ve been dabbling with different mediums such as digital art, mixed media and photography.”



She then went on to take art courses at Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art in Bretagne in 2011. “I displayed my work in various art exhibitions such as Athr Gallery and ROOM NO.5 in Jeddah, Oasis exhibition in Riyadh and Amber Gallery in Morocco.”



Beydoun is currently participating at the Edge of Arabia exhibition RHIZOMA (Generation in Waiting) at the 55th Venice Biennale.



She is a part of “Tagged and Documented” series in YSA13 and like many young Saudi artists her work has helped create a bridge with the theme.

 

She said the series is an asymmetrical “reflection of the interaction (or lack there of) between some undocumented immigrants and I.  



It was challenging to take their pictures during street life exploration in Jeddah, since a lot of undocumented immigrants are being deported currently.



Masking their faces with Mickey and Minnie Mouse silhouette is a manner of hiding their true identity.



“Mickey Mouse is a character that everyone relates to, a figure of joy and happiness. He is on the other spectrum of how the undocumented immigrants felt while taking their pictures — nervous and uncomfortable,” she said.

 

Talking about inspiration, Beydoun said artistic influences stem from the world around her. “The things that play with my mood and thoughts on a daily basis. “Major influences come from my family, friends, and the random people I see on the street. I’m interested in the way they walk, talk, and think; their way of life and their stories fascinate me.”



She said the art she most identifies with is mixed-media and alternatively enjoys drawing, painting, photography.



When asked which themes she is focused on and will continue to pursue, she said: “My themes are an assemblage of my color pallet and mixed media. “Depending on my experimentation with either one they end up steering the idea into a solid subject-motif.”



Beydoun is drawn toward Iranian contemporary art, but also finds herself drawn to different artists using different mediums.



Beydoun  said what she dislikes most about the art world is that art is subjective. “Anything could be artistic its just a matter of how people perceive it.”



Her favorite and most inspirational places are Biennale Di Venezia and Art museums.