Homoud, one of the Saudi artists whose work - “Al Batin” - has been selected by Christie's for auction at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai on Wednesday, told Saudi Gazette in an interview that currently there certainly are a lot of art collectors in Saudi Arabia. “There is a growing appreciation for art otherwise they would invest in other things. Of course it varies from one person to another where one would care more about what they value personally and another will care more about what sells better. I find interest on both an individual and corporate level,” she remarked. Commenting on the Christie's auction, she said that the selection of her work among other Saudi artists - Ahmad Mater, Mahdi Al-Juraibi, Abdul Nasir Gharim, Ayman Yusri and Reem Al-Faisal - “is a sign of international recognition. All we need is exposure as art is a universal language that can be appreciated among other cultures. Through creativity, a lot of things happen, such as cultural exchange.” “Art needs the right environment to flourish,” remarked Al-Homoud. She stressed that she considers herself deeply rooted to Saudi culture and the country. “We have amazing artists in Saudi Arabia but this needs the support of society and art will advance when it is parallel with an intellectual movement as well,” she added. Asked about the difference she finds in the art scene in Saudi Arabia and the UK, where she lives, Al-Homoud said there are professional art critics and art journalism in the UK, adding “of course having creative people from around the world enriches the art scene.” Al-Homoud said that over the years, she has found growing interest in culture generally and art in particular in Saudi Arabia. “There are a lot of business people who are supporting art and cultural activities more than ever. A lot of galleries have opened and plans to open cultural centers are underway. What I would love to see is quality of art education, art criticism and journalism,” she stressed. She is quick to point out that she is very proud of her country and Saudi heritage.“I am a Saudi female artist who owes her family and country a lot and whatever I achieve is a pay back to my family and my culture that gave me so much. I will carry on this responsibility to show the true face of my country,” she stressed. “I have lived in the UK for more than 17 years and I feel privileged to have studied art and design in the UK combining what I have learnt with the rich heritage provided by the Islamic civilization.” Asked about the art situation in Saudi Arabia in general, and with women artists in particular, she said that it is “very promising, and I don't think being a woman would make any difference when it comes to creativity and the ability to express ideas.” Regarding the progress women have made in the Kingdom, she said, “If every woman concentrates on herself and invests in her own knowledge and education, there will not be a problem. I don't like to complain about the situation because there are a lot of positive things that people tend to miss or ignore when they complain. There is room for improvement for everyone, not just women, although I would like to see women handling their own issues more,” she added. Commenting on the recent reforms launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, she said that they are “the right step in the right direction and the fruits of it will be more visible to the next generations.” Asked if the teaching of art should be given a more important place in education, and whether the appointment of Nora Bint Abdullah Al-Fayez - as the first woman deputy minister in charge of girls' affairs - encourage such a development, Al-Homood said, “I do think art should be taken more seriously in education and I don't mean the practical part only but more importantly, the contextual side of it. The appointment of a woman for such a position will hopefully do this and this is what I mean by women handling their own issues because they are capable of doing so. Nora Al-Fayez is the right choice and I am sure it will have a lot of positive outcomes not only for art but also for girls' education in general.” As advice to budding artists in Saudi Arabia, she indicated that she would ask them to learn and deepen their knowledge of their own culture and surroundings. “That should not stop them from learning about other cultures, broaden and expand their knowledge,” she added. “Genuine ideas reach the audience without the need for much explanation.” Al-Homoud herself seems to do just that as someone who teaches art from an Arab/Islamic perspective to young people in London. “I would love to train (Saudi)artists especially on how to develop their ideas,” she remarked. “I would certainly like to teach the principals of graphic design and educate people on how to read and send visual messages to the public. Meanwhile I will not stop learning from everyone around me.” Al-Homoud received her bachelors in arts' degree in sociology from King Saud University in Riyadh and another from London in visual communication design, and then obtained her masters in arts at Central Saint Martins in communication design and completed research on the pure forms of Islamic Art (calligraphy and geometry). “I am a graphic artist who can work with different elements and subjects and I do commercial work as well, but my main personal interest is in the written language and how it evolved and will keep evolving,” she said, adding, “I like to examine the complexity of language and how the simple shapes of the letters can lead us to complex meanings and ideas.” She explained that “Al Batin”, in particular, is akin to language itself, which is simple if deconstructed, but very complex by nature. Simply put, it is an expression of deep faith and spirituality, and as a visual composition of one of God's names “Al Batin” (“The Inward”), it borders on both art and science. She claims that reading books on philosophy, science and mathematics have inspired her. She found a relation between the Arabic letter and a mathematical square that features significant numbers from the creation itself. New codes for each letter were composed and from them the names of God were constructed in a new and abstract way. “The work is an outcome of over a year of research and readings,” she said. Asked as to how the selection will help the artists, and the art scene in Saudi Arabia – in terms of encouragement to artists and sales of works of art – Al-Homoud said that in her opinion, “art is dead serious and not just a process for fun. It conveys a message that will outlive us and inspire new generations to accumulate knowledge and heritage. We don't only represent ourselves but our country and a whole culture. Being valued and appreciated by the international art world will make creative people more responsible and serious about their work. We already have great artists in Saudi Arabia despite the absence of proper art education, and all they need is exposure and to become more connected with the international art scene. This is a start that will connect more artists from Saudi Arabia to the outside world.”
