THE American photographer Edward Steichen once said: “Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” Saudis, especially young artists, photographers and graphic designers, are starting to do exactly this, resulting in a surge in artistic and creative expression in the country. Many recently displayed their talents at an art auction held by the Benefit Arabia Organization. Mir Anwar Young and hopeful, originally from Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and raised in Jeddah, Mir Anwar is a New York-based wedding photographer with a passion for his work. He majored in business management and finance, but confessed that he always had a secret interest in photography. He started out as a lifestyle photographer concentrating more on musicians and then became a wedding photographer. “It's like being a visionary in a beautiful set up which requires me to capture every memory possible – the preparations, the last dance, flowers, the cake and the vows,” he explained. His photographs at the auction included places in Jeddah; the Ka'ba in Makkah, a mosque at the Corniche and the pages of the Holy Qur'an – which are all significant to his childhood. Sultanah Mohammad Al-Sudairy Young, passionate and a lover of fashion, Sultanah Al-Sudairy is a beginner in photography. Her work mainly centers on her emotions and perceptions of life. Al-Sudairy says that art has always been part of her life because all her family members have artistic professions. She started taking pictures of her friends and cousins dressed up as models, and her family fueled this interest by giving her the opportunity to study photography during a summer in Paris. Al-Sudairy said her work is all about self-expression and combining photography with fashion. “You can see none of my pictures have any identity as such, because I want my pictures to represent me. I want my pictures to express what I feel,” she explained.. In one photo, she uses the face of a woman and wires, to symbolize a mother and her nest. “This picture basically shows that a mother does not need basic senses to recognize her own children.” Another picture shows wires covering the eyes of a woman. “This shows that even if you're going to close a woman's eyes, she is still going to see what she wants to see and what she must see.” Yaser Qarout Qarout has been a photographer for three years and claims that he wants to be “different and famous”. His art at the auction included three photographs shot in Jeddah; including a shadow of a horse, showing its beauty; rare greenery and an old street found in Balad. Maan Salha Originally from Lebanon, Maan Salha is a writer, medical student and professional photographer for the Design Magazine. His work includes three beautiful pictures depicting the basic idea of faith. Rania A. Razek A graphic design teacher by profession, Rania A. Razek has an intense passion for photography. She loves freezing moments in time, and especially loves capturing the expressions of her friends. She tries to be versatile in her work and is always looking for something new. “I am inspired the moment I see an image of interest.” Her work includes all kinds of photographs. At the auction, she had one of a yellow orchid. This unique Art Auction showed that photography is so much more than just taking pictures. It is a form of art, and a way to show how you see the world; to say things without words and create the memory of one moment in time. Perhaps most importantly, it is a passion, and perhaps all the photographers at the auction were inspired by just that.
