July 23, 2004

SHARIFA AL-SUDAIRI, A WIFE AND A MOTHER OF THREE GIRLS WITH UNLIMITED ARTISTIC VISIONS. SHE WISHES TO ORGANIZE A PUBLIC EXHIBITION FOR FEMALE ARTISTS. Baria Alamuddine When artist Sharifa Al Sudairi talks about drawing, listeners feel that this Saudi woman graduated from the most famous and international art institutes, or that she learned to deal with the pen and colors from the masters. However, she did not. A mother of three daughters, she never attended a school or institute. Her first school is talent that she refined with experience and practice, both mixed with a great passion for this art that constitutes today half of Sharifa Al Sudairi's world; her family constitutes the second half. Telling examples are those paintings that reflect creativity and a humanistic vision, especially in relation to the events taking place in her Saudi environment specifically, and in the Arab environment in general. Interest in the Saudi environment is best interpreted by her paintings about the Riyadh epic that enabled the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud to restore his ancestors' patrimony and then unite the Kingdom and establish its modern foundations. Thus Al-Sudairi produces a colorful documentation of an historic battle that changed the Arab peninsula's course of history. The artist interpreted her concern for the wider Arab environment with paintings about the Palestinian martyrdom story and that of the struggle for freedom. For her drawing, in addition to beauty, carries an important political, social, and patriotic message. One of her portraits of a Bedouin woman was ranked fifth in Biennale, Florence, Italy in 1997, before it was transferred to the Burgundy museum where it is currently on display. Among her paintings that summarize the Palestinian suffering, two are entitled The Martyr, representing the funerals of one of the Palestinian martyrs, and Martyrs' Mothers, showing the faces of two Palestinian women with all the sorrow and grief mixed with the pride felt by every Palestinian mother. During the interview, Sharifa Al Sudairy told us how she started as an artist, in addition to her future plans and the situation of the Saudi female artists. She said, "I received most of my education here in Saudi Arabia. However, as a painter, I am self-taught; I did not attend any university or institute to learn art. When I first got married, I traveled much. Later, I was busy with my children. When they grew up, I started tending to my art. Today, I feel that I did not do enough." She added, "I think I started in the 1980s, when I participated in an exhibition held in Jeddah, which displayed paintings of a group of women artists. It was Princess Moda bint Khaled who encouraged me; she was invited to dinner at my sister's place with members of Gulf committees and associations. My sister started showing them a number of her paintings and then told them I have some too. So they asked me: why don't you participate in the exhibition that would be held in Jeddah? They mentioned some of the women participants among whom was Mona Qusaibi, a famous artist who organizes exhibitions." "The next day, Princess Moda called me and encouraged me again. She gave me Mona Qusaibi's number and insisted that I call her and tell her about my desire to participate in the exhibition. The truth was that I was surprised by her quick positive answer. I was very buoyant, so I sent my painting, traveled to Jeddah and participated in the exhibition with the support of my father I was very happy because everybody admired the painting I displayed." Sudairi continued, "That first exhibition was followed by another, which was positively reviewed in the media. In 1989, I took part in a competition for the Gulf artists in Bahrain. I sent one of my paintings to Bahrain while I was busy with the Jeddah exhibition. A week later, my painting was ranked third among the others." Interviewer: Does this mean that you did not enroll in any institute back then? Sudairi: "Not at that time, no. However, people liked and bought my paintings and media started writing about my paintings. I started receiving invitations to participate in exhibitions everywhere. Once, one of the Saudi universities asked me to organize a meeting with a Chinese delegation that intends to visit the university in order to hold an exhibition. In response, I worked quickly on gathering 17 Saudi artists among them were Princess Nora and Salwa Hudail. Then I participated in many exhibitions inside and outside the Kingdom. I received the most important invitation to the International Biennale in Florence; I was chosen to represent Saudi Arabia at the exhibition. I won the silver medal." Interviewer: After this impressive success, what are your future plans? She says, "I want to organize a big exhibition abroad with other Arab artists. It is true that we are participating in exhibitions abroad and widening our artistic knowledge by meeting artists from different nationalities, but I think that it is important to establish an exhibition to show the world that our Arab world is full of talent. It shows the respectable and creative aspect of our life and civilization." On her individual exhibitions, Mrs. Sharifa said, "After the Florence exhibition, I participated in many collective exhibitions. Three years ago, I held an individual exhibition that Prince Khaled Al Faisal inaugurated. He is a renowned painter and a very interesting person. Then, I held two exhibitions in Riyadh. I am currently trying to work on holding another exhibition." Interviewer: We rarely read about the Saudi women artists. Is it the Arab or Saudi media's mistake? Alternatively, is it that of the Artists? She answered, "Yes, this is true. There are several artists that are still unknown, in spite of the fact that the Saudi government continuously encourages us to organize public exhibitions. I feel that the Saudi woman is still shy and does not tell her friends about what she is doing. How would the media know about her?" She added, "Some of the women artists are capable and want to organize and promote their works. Others think that they should find a committee or association to help them hold exhibitions and display their works. Sure, there is the culture and arts association that comprises men artists. They often invite us, women artists, to participate by only sending our paintings. However, I feel that there is an urgent need to establish more women art associations. Today, there is probably one. The majority of women artists in Riyadh rely on the welfare progress foundation to support them. This foundation cooperates with experts from Canada and the U.S.A." Artist Sharifa Sudairi tells the story of the Palestinian suffering. She said, "There was an exhibition held with the Palestinian suffering as a theme by the Youth Association. It always organizes exhibitions under different titles relevant to the needs and problems of Arab society and aims at raising the awareness of the citizens, such as an exhibition on drugs." On her new artistic projects, she states, "My project concerns palaces and the palaces' background. I want to go back to a picture that relaxes the soul, seeing a natural and calm panorama including Islamic architecture. I am trying to get a sort of peace, all the more that there is no peace today. The world has become even more violent." Sudairi has passed her artistic talent to her daughter Nufa. She is a brilliant portrait painter. She has, with her friends, a website about their works on the Internet. However, Sharifa asserts they still have a lot to do.