Leylaty, Saudi Arabia's leading fine dining restaurant group, founded in 1986, has recently launched an initiative to promote art in the country by offering artists a platform to showcase their works. Hani Hussein Al Attas, president of Leylaty, said: “Leylaty group believes in giving back to our local community to help advance our culture through the promotion of arts.” “Father & Son” series by Saudi artist Abdullah Qandeel will be exhibited at Bubbles Lounge here till Dec.20. “I am grateful that God has blessed me with the gift of powerful expression. I am honored to have continued support from my family, friends, clients and believers around the globe,”Qandeel told Saudi Gazette in an exclusive interview. He said he appreciates Leylaty's initiative because it is exactly what the artists need more. “In order to promote positive cultural development the private sector has to step up to the plate and invest into Saudis who have talent.” Qandeel believes Saudi Arabia has tremendous amount of talent. “A melting pot that has resulted in a culture that is loving, warm and filled with potential. The Kingdom is blessed by God with its resources and is a canvas of sand waiting to be painted with monumental beauties that will last forever in time and remind future generations of the possibilities of today.” He added that leaving talent out on the streets or even confining it to a day dream desk job will not help Saudis improve their homes, cities, country and the globe. “The private sector has a moral obligation to integrate creativity into their operations so that we can find solutions and think “outside the box.” It is never too late.” Jeddah-born Qandeel has a studio in Soho, New York. He has been a part of SEM Art Gallery in Monte Carlo and will be participating in the upcoming Sotheby's “London Contemporary Art Auction” in April 2013. Discussing his artwork, Qandeel said: “If you take a look at any “modern” city, you will find that even though the local government has enough budget to promote and exhibit the art works, the performing art centers, museums, galleries and studios are all financed by the private sector.” He believes Leylaty Group's initiative should inspire every single individual to either create more or support more. “Supporting is creating.” Asked Qandeel what the exhibition meant to him on a personal level and how he thinks it will facilitate the role of Saudi artists. He said, “This series, “Father & Son,” is about giving back. I dedicated it to my father who has and continues to inspire me to believe in others and myself. I think it is a fundamental component to be or at least try to be selfless as an artist.” Qandeel said his father is a big advocate of microfinance and it was through him that he saw what microfinance can do to win the fight against poverty. He told Saudi Gazette that microfinance allows individuals to borrow for education and the creates sustainable income that helps an individual escape poverty after having been in its clutches for generations and generations. “I pledged to donate 15 percent of all sales from this series that is currently up at Bubbles to Grameen Foundation, the seed organization that sparked the growth of this concept through Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr. Muhammad Yunis,” he said. Sofana Dahlan, CEO of Tashkeil, which promotes Qandeel's artwork said: “Qandeel is a voice of truth translated into art and we look forward to seeing his success in the international art scene very soon.” Asked the artist what's next and he said: “There is a specific strategy in place, I treat my profession as a CEO does with his company and investors. In that sense, it is my duty to take care of my key stakeholders and because of that I have an attitude quite different to most artists.” He believes the established strategy is aggressive and he intends to realize it in both the short and long term. The optimistic soul of Qandeel believes “The rest is up to God.” Qandeel said 2013 is a very exciting year for him. “With my auction debut at the Sotheby's “London Contemporary Art” sale in June, I am currently working on this special piece for the auction from my studio in SOHO, New York. This city is an inspirational place and I intend to fully utilize my surroundings here.” When asked about how he feels about the current state of contemporary art in Saudi Arabia and how he thinks we can engineer its progress, he said he was frustrated with the status quo. “The community is excited and art can once again become a integral part of our identity. I have respect for three main private institutions: Tashkeil, Athr Gallery and Edge of Arabia. “However we are not laying down the fundamental building blocks for our future generations by investing into schools for arts and architecture now,” Qandeel said, adding, “the private sector should come together and build the education, incubation and communication hub for the arts. “One such example of an incubation company is Tashkeil, they have an excellent model which should be amplified and replicated across the region and financed to create more artists and not bankers.”
