PALAVI KELE
The vibrant art of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri has been passed from generation to generation. It’s now Alaa Ali Moghawi’s turn.
Alaa Ali Moghawi is a Saudi artist who specializes in Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, an ancient art native to the mountainous region of Asir in southern Saudi Arabia. She grew up in the 10th century gingerbread village of Rijal Almaa, a recently recognized UNESCO World Heritage site nestled in lush green mountains with stone houses and colorful wooden windows.
Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, the art form that made it to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2017 is best described with vibrant colored geometric patterns adorning doors, walls, household items and furniture. It is historically a women’s art form that was passed down through generations for 300 years. Alaa was inspired by her mother, Fatima Faye Al-Almai, who is a popular Al-Qatt artist in her village. In fact, there’s a museum in Abha (50 kms west of Rijal Almaa) named after her. It displays a rich collection of cultural items belonging to the Asiri women and their lifestyle. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has great cultural and artistic 
diversity, and we are glad that the world is getting to know about it,” Alaa says with pride.
Traditionally, the colors used in Al Qatt paintings were extracted from indigenous resources. For instance, red from Al Meshgah ochre of Asir rocks; black from charcoal; yellow from turmeric root and pomegranate albedo; green from freshly cut grass and blue from wildflowers. A layer of Arabic glue is applied to the paintings for its glaze. What Alaa loves the most about her art is being able to paint with natural dyes. “It also reminds me of all the Asiri women who drew inspiration from the beautiful landscape of the region”, she adds. However, substituting them with acrylic paints is less time consuming and thus, gaining popularity in recent times.
This decorative art also served as a form of expression for Asiri women. Each element in the painting is significant – the mountains, girls standing or dancing together, the wheat bran, patterned embroidery from Saudi national attire of Abaya and Bisht, patterns symbolic of the Holy Quran (Al Khatmah), traditional scarf design (Lihaf), among others. Mastering this art form requires creative innovation and plenty of patience. Imagine having to use your nails and hands to precisely measure the geometric shapes back in the day!
Having mastered the Al Qatt art, Alaa has participated in several events like Artigiano in Feira (Italy), Ministry of Tourism and Heritage Commission, Art and Intelligence Hackathon while studying at Al Faisal University and more recently, at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai (UAE). Currently, she teaches at The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (TRITA) in Riyadh.
Alaa knows what she wants. “I have three main goals”, she affirms. “To create more art, to conduct many more workshops, and to promote Al Qatt locally and globally”.
If you would like to learn this traditional art form or buy it, you can get in touch with her on Instagram @qatt_art.
