RIYADH: More Saudi women than men are applying for admission at the College of Art Education at King Saud University (KSU), said Dr. Saleh Al-Zayer, Associate Professor of Art, KSU. Al-Zayer said that out of 650 students currently enrolled at KSU's College of Art Education, 400 are women students. He said besides KSU, three other Saudi universities offer art education in Saudi Arabia. College of Art and Design at Umm Al-Qura University and College of Art and Design at King Abdul Aziz University (KAU) in Jeddah offer Master's and PhD degrees while Princess Noura Bint Abdurrahman University for Women has recently introduced a four-year degree course, he said. “Saudi women students are showing a keen interest in art education,” Al-Zayer told Saudi Gazette. He said that with the support of the Saudi government the future of art in Saudi Arabia is very bright. About 100 art students graduate from KSU and an equal number are enrolled every year, he said. The majority of art graduates find employment as art teachers in Saudi public schools while about five percent become professional artists who exhibit their work locally and internationally. According to Al-Zayer, several Saudi artists become connected with international artists through the international exhibitions organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information, emails and social networking sites such as Facebook. “Young Saudi artists not only have innovative ideas but are also ambitious in their work and are able to contribute at national and international levels,” he said. Saudi women's interest in art is not new in the Kingdom. In the past, women artists have demonstrated their excellence, Al-Zayer said, referring to Muneera Mousli, the first Saudi woman artist to have introduced 2D art in Saudi Arabia. Mousli was an art graduate from an Egyptian university. Sofia Bint Saqr was another Saudi woman who pioneered new methods in oil painting, he said. She exhibited her prowess some decades ago, he added. Al-Zayer, however, said that Saudi Arabia has a long way to go to achieve a place in art. He said there is a need to create awareness among people about art, adding that events such as the 21st Annual Saudi Contemporary Art Exhibition, currently being held at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh, would help in promoting art in Saudi Arabia. Out of the 59 artists participating in the exhibition, eight are women, he said. Women artists have not lagged behind in terms of ideas, quality and understanding of social norms, which he said are of academic standard. “The subjects that were considered taboo a few years ago are now discussed through different art forms in Saudi Arabia. Unlike before, women artists can now participate in art exhibitions and explain (their work) to visitors,” he said.
