JEDDAH - A solo exhibition by an Italian artist is being held in Jeddah after a 20 year lull. Titled "The Journey of the Sparrowhawk," the exhibition is showcasing around 10 Islamic art pieces by Italian artist Maïmouna Guerresi. Manuela De Leonardis is the curator of the exhibition that is taking place at Hafez Gallery with the support of the Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah. During a media press conference that was held on Sunday in Hafez Gallery, photographs, installations and a site-specific piece were some of the presented artworks by Guerresi who is a photographer, sculptor, and a video installation artist. Splitting her time between Italy and Senegal, Guerresi says it was a visit to the latter that prompted her to convert to Islam in the 1990s. This was a turning point not only in her personal life, but also in her career since she started working with recurring themes related to multicultural symbolism and feminine spirituality. The Italian Consul General Elisabetta Martini said, "This is the first solo exhibition by an Italian artist in at least 20 years. Last year, I was invited to participate in ‘21,39 Jeddah Arts' and I saw beautiful organization and an interesting artistic environment in Jeddah, both from the artistic and collector side." "This is not an event that is organized by the Italian consulate but we support Hafez gallery to find the right artist to come to Jeddah and meet the requirements and the taste. I think this exhibition is an interesting bridge between the two countries," Martini added. During the press conference, Guerresi spoke in detail about each of her artworks, including a piece titled "M-eating the light salt, 2013". She explained that although the artwork does not include food, she used salt to remind the viewer of the presence of food. Guerresi used salt and a chandelier as symbols of light. She said the salt in the artwork is a special symbol and the viewer can feel this through the eyes of the women in the piece who are looking at the grains of salt as if they are looking at diamonds. "I hope that Saudi society will like my work. For Saudis, I think my work is different since Saudis are not used to seeing women in art pieces, so I hope people like my work," she said.
