From left: Wife of French Consul General; Louis Blin, Consul General of France; Mohammed Al-Tayeb, Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Makkah region; and photographers Esa S. Engawi and Wedad M.S. Al-Saban. Roberta Fedele Saudi Gazette
A three-day photography exhibition showcasing the traditional and more modern facades of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic world through the works of Princess Reem Al-Faisal, granddaughter of the late King Faisal, and two other renowned photographers on the Saudi scene, Esa S. Engawi and his wife Wedad M. S. Al-Saban, opened Monday at the Consulate General of France. Organized by the Cultural Service of the French General Consulate in Jeddah with the support of “the Club des Amis de la Culture Française,” the opening event saw consistent participation from Jeddah's local community including Saudi officials, diplomats, journalists and art lovers. French Consul General Louis Blin and Cultural Attaché Sebastien Lafragette introduced the artists to the guests and apologized for the absence of Princess Reem who had to attend an event in Dubai where she established the Empty Quarter Gallery, the only gallery to solely exhibit photography. “Princess Al-Faisal is an internationally-renowned photographer and a great friend of France where she studied photography for several years. Soon afterwards, she started traveling and collecting pictures in China, Egypt, Florence, Istanbul, Jeddah, Japan, Madinah, Syria and Venice manifesting a predilection for photographs representing the Nation of Islam and landscape photography,” said Blin. Well-known for her wide black and white photographs, Princess Al-Faisal is one of the few women to have photographed the Haj extensively. Her most recent project documented the experience of Haj and required several years to be completed. In a recent interview with the French press, she clearly expressed her conception behind photography. “I like to define myself as a Muslim artist, formed by the culture and history of my homeland. I try to show, through my art, the divine signs within nature and man. Light represents to me one of the many manifestations of God that he throws on the path of human beings to remind them about his constant presence in everyone and everywhere. Each photograph represents a model of light and shadow. Photography is to me a way of praising God's glory in the Universe,” she said. After introducing the work of Princess Al-Faisal, Blin presented the other two artists exhibiting their photographs. “We are lucky to have here Engawi and his wife Al-Saban, two renowned artists in Jeddah who belong to a family of photographers. Engawi is particularly famous for having founded the Photographers' House in Jeddah 14 years ago and I hope one day we will be able to host the works of his four children,” said Blin. Engawi, an engineer by profession, started his photographic career 40 years ago, approaching it as a hobby but gradually becoming more and more immersed in it. Today, he is a representative of the Photography Society of America (PSA) and a member of more than 20 photography organizations. Engawi has held 14 personal exhibitions and participated in 120 group and 50 international exhibitions. At this exhibition, Engawi and his wife displayed pictures representing the old architecture of Makkah, Saudi Arabia's natural landscapes, historical treasures including Madain Saleh and the more modern side of the Kingdom, well represented by Engawi's beautiful picture of Al-Faisaliah tower in Riyadh. “I like to experiment with my camera and approach different subjects but I always feel a predilection for the portrait. When I get a picture, I try to convey a message through it. The picture exhibited today that can give a clearer idea of my philosophy and thinking shows a young lady in an old building leaning out of the window and looking at the sky. No matter their age or the historical period they live in, human beings always tend to look at the skies in search for a divine presence. My advice to young photographers is to be patient and dedicate themselves completely to this art — understanding that it is not a hobby but a real career. And most importantly, they should try to be seen at an international level, especially women,” said Engawi. Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Makkah Region, Mohammed Al-Tayeb, who was among the distinguished guests attending the exhibition, expressed appreciation for the artistic works displayed and gave his full support to such initiatives. “Each year we hold a competition in Jeddah and Riyadh dedicated to photography and other arts. We buy the photographs and exhibit them abroad. We deeply encourage cultural exchange and would be more than happy to welcome French and European artists. I believe that people to people contact is the best way to build solid relationships based on sincere friendship. Today, I'm particularly honored to attend an exhibition presenting the natural beauties, historical treasures and culture of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic world,” he said.
