By Ghadeer Ghloum

KUWAIT: Sadu House launched an exhibition Saturday to showcase sadu-inspired artwork created by four Kuwaiti artists through its Sadi residency program. Sadi 2023: Symbolism and Storytelling, which opened on March 11, 2023, will remain on display until March 25 to celebrate the work of Retaj Al-Khaldi, Norah Al-Shammari, Sayer Al-Sayer, Samaa Al-Refai and Mohmoud Shaker.

Chairperson of Al-Sadu Society Sheikha Bibi Duaij Al-Sabah said the Sadi artist and residency program gives the opportunity to a group of artists to create art pieces that transform sadu from a traditional textile into something contemporary and attractive to a younger audience.

Kuwaiti artist Norah Al-Shammari and her husband.

Each year the artists are given a theme from which they can create their art pieces. This year's theme is storytelling and symbolism. She added that artists have done a great job after months of workshops, lectures, and one-on-one time with artists and weavers, in addition to studio spaces allocated for them. Sheikha Bibi said she is looking forward to welcome a new group of artists every year, creating a larger collection of these pieces and taking it internationally.

Kuwaiti artist Shammari, who holds a bachelors in graphic design and a masters of fine arts in design, displayed her art work that focuses on the self, expressed through layers and strokes. Shammari explained her artwork as a manifestation of the self, or rather the journey of the self, brought to life through contrasting colors and interesting compositions.

Sheikha Bibi Duaij Al-Sabah

"My concept focuses on how with technologies' prevalence in our society, we forget that everything we need is already within us, and all we need to do is use our imagination and our hands. Those are enough tools for everyone to be creative and this is what inspired me to create my work," she said.

Multimedia artist and designer Khaldi, also participated in displaying her artwork at Sadi. According to Khaldi, her work is based on local, social, and cultural themes. She also referred to her artwork as a linking equipment that connects her with people.

Sayer is an architectural designer with a wide-ranging interest in arts and crafts, spatial planning and research. In his work, he attempts to combine contemporary concepts, quality craftsmanship and a sense of humor. Sayer said his art pieces stemmed from a relentless desire to partake in the creative process. Images and objects around him stood alone, usually devoid of their origins, inspiring early efforts to mimic and recreate his surroundings.

Attendees point at one of the displayed artworks at the exhibit.

Refai is a Kuwaiti visual artist who smears colors on surfaces to make feelings tangible. She described her art as the place where she shatters and comes together to form a home for herself and the other. Beyond creating art, she dedicates her time conducting research on art while also curating exhibitions for international artists.

Shaker is a Kuwaiti author and artist whose curiosity towards human subjects, and the idea of being a human with feelings, has largely inspired both his writings and art where he often dissects the self, its feelings and its emotion. According to Shaker, he seeks to create experiences that push himself and others to pose deeper questions and delve into the unspoken, in an attempt to probe the depths of the human soul.