Saudi Gazette Artists in Jeddah have been given the perfect opportunity to showcase their talent to the world. The Arabic Company for Events and Projects organized a two-week 3-D art competition, and their canvas was the dull, grey cement walls of the city near the Red Sea Mall. Well-known graffitti artists like Yasser Al-Madani, Abdulaziz Al-Andusi, and Abdulhakeem Salem eagerly participated along with lots of newbies who unleashed their creative skills on the walls. The competition fulfilled two objectives, converting the depressing walls of the city into an art gallery, and bringing forward the creative side of the youth of Jeddah. According to organizers of the project, the event attracted scores of guests and visitors who admired the exceptional artistic skills of the artists. An impressed visitor exclaimed, “I am able to see the creatures and the many colors of the sea without even putting on a diving mask!” Artists Duaa Thabit and Fatima Abdulazeem have been selected to oversee the competition and they have reported positive feedback from the audience. Thabit hopes that such events take place all over Jeddah, as the city is the ‘first' host to millions of pilgrims who come every year to visit Madina and Makkah for Hajj and Umrah. What better way could there be to decorate and enhance the beauty of the Bride of the Red Sea? “This event was intended not only to produce pleasant images to look at. The competition also serves to educate the public on the importance of protecting the environment under the sea and keeping it free from litter and pollution so that everyone can enjoy it,” said Thabit. “The painting of natural scenes on public spaces is a new art that started in the US and has now caught up and gained popularity around the world. Our graffiti artists here in Jeddah are painting blue waves and real life sea creatures that exist in the Red Sea. The organizers of the event will be awarding ten prizes for the best drawings,” said artist Fatima Abdulazeem. __
