A glimpse of husseiniya art A glimpse of husseiniya art

Husseiniyas around Kuwait opened in Muharram this Hijri year amid tight security by the interior ministry due to political instability in the Gulf region. Despite concerns, Shiites commemorated the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and his family and companions. The grief is not only expressed profoundly in speeches and gatherings, but artistically too in theatres, painting workshops and characterizations. This year, the Ashur Husseiniya in Bneid Al-Gar organized a Madam Tussaud's-like tableau showcasing scenes of this historical event.

It all started three years ago, when a young Kuwaiti named Hamad Kamal, who's passionate about modeling and casting, came up with the idea of organizing an annual exhibition to portray a realistic replica of the Battle of Karbala. Hamad worked with a group of friends who share the same interest. Bader Al-Qallaf is one of them.

"We brought our materials from Hollywood and started preparations six months ago. We learned through trial and error. Initially we used PT Flex casting rubber, then moved to an advanced technique using silicone and other materials like permanent blood and special wigs that weren't locally available," Qallaf told Kuwait Times. "The first exhibition had only four sections, but this year it contains nine scenes of the saga of Ashura."

Muslims of various sects disagree on the issue of realistic embodiment of historical religious figures. Usually, in TV soap operas and historical movies, the faces of these personalities are deliberately hidden. Therefore, this exhibition was a source of dispute. Viewing this from a cultural standpoint, it's not surprising. Culture is considered, somehow, as an expression of religious ideas in societies, so convergence of public reactions is hard to reach."We received strong criticism from our dearest friends and relatives that pained us. But we also got substantial positive feedback from visitors, who welcomed the idea from the onset," Qallaf said.

The exhibition begins with a dark passageway, and is divided into nine sections. The colors mainly used are red, symbolizing blood, black for mourning, and green to signify martyrdom. The latter color and black are the traditional colors of Ashura. Sounds of lamentations play in the background to underpin the visual message.

The imagery of Ashura has been theatrically portrayed in husseiniyas since decades. But it boomed after the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in 1991. The life-like creations took off from the homes of Shiites modestly, then evolved into exhibitions. Since the past two years in Kuwait, ceramics and art workshops have also been held during Muharram. "Husseiniya art has no leader and is not owned by one particular person. It's a visual representation of our feelings and it's available to all," Qallaf said.

Story and Photos by Athoob Al-Shuaibi