By Margie Sartain
Saudi Arabia holds a deep connection with the people of its past, one that has been fostered through a rich cultural and artisanal heritage that stretches back across centuries. The Kingdom’s craftsmen and women serve as a crucial link between past and present, as they are the storytellers of their generation, representing those who have gone before them and educating those who will follow.
The soon-to-open Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter will be permanently displaying the “Living Exhibition”. It will be visible throughout the entire hotel, with artwork featured in public areas such as the lobby and restaurant but also in the hotel rooms, spa and pool, enlivening the spaces with a sense of Saudi Arabia’s proud and vibrant heritage.
Ferran Brufau, the General Manager of Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence, is incredibly proud of the project, stating that, ‘this pioneering project has been a close collaboration, with each party working cohesively to ensure that the exhibition forms part of our unique identity. The exhibition pieces allow our guests to experience the rich culture of this country and its people when they enter the hotel’.
Each of the 1,000 plus pieces in the exhibition tell a captivating story unique to its maker. The 59 artisans featured in the exhibition hail from 6 different regions in Saudi Arabia: Qassim, Riyadh, Makkah, Bahah, Asir and the Eastern Province. Through a partnership between the Saudi Handicrafts Program at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and Turquoise Mountain, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation founded in 2006 by HRH The Prince of Wales, these artisans have been brought together in one of the largest artisanal joint project in the country to date.
Turquoise Mountain believes that the Living Exhibition will create a platform for these craftsmen and women to share their talents with the world, opening doors for collaboration, distribution, and exhibition of their works. The project has also been especially important to local female artisans, who comprise more than 70% of the artisans who worked on the project. Throughout the hotel, there is a series of breathtaking plaster artworks, which were created by a group of female artisans in Jeddah. One of these artisans, Sharifa Al Ghamdi, explained, “traditional crafts are our identity, our national treasure and pride.”
Master artisan Fatemah Talal Hassenen, who hails from Jeddah, produced 120 ceramic pieces for the exhibition each incorporating traditional themes and patterns. Of her work, Hassanen says, “As a potter, each piece is an expression of myself, ceramics are a beautiful part of my life, and when I don’t practice my craft, I feel there is something that is fundamentally missing.”
Nora Shafi Al Qahanti is a Riyadh-based master quilter and artisan who completed the cut, make and trim of many, sedu, bisht and embroidery pieces in the Living Exhibition. Nora says that working with Turquoise Mountain and contributing to the Living Exhibition has helped her connect and collaborate with artisans across the country to produce beautifully finished world-class heritage pieces. The program has also resonated with her desire to champion education and the sharing of knowledge between local artisans.
Turquoise Mountain’s Communication’s Manager, Siwar Bandar, says ‘Watching artisans develop their unique voices, and watching them advocate for the importance of their work, not just personally, but for the country as well, has been very rewarding.’ Those involved with the project state their immense pride in being able to deliver such a progressive exhibition in Riyadh. The Living Exhibition showcases the stories of this country, giving its talented craftsmen and women a platform to share their unique cultural identities with a new audience.
The Living Exhibition has a beautiful life and soul embodied by the Arabic proverb shared by Siwar Bandar, “What comes from the lips reaches the ears but what comes from the heart, reaches the heart.”
The Living Exhibition will be open from April 1, 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Residences, Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter. Guests and visitors of the hotel will also have the opportunity to buy some of these handmade pieces at the retail shop, taking home with them a piece of Saudi heritage and sharing beautiful stories that often go untold. The sales from these items directly benefit the artisans who will generate income and access new markets through the shop.
To find out more about Turquoise Mountain’s fantastic work visit www.turquoisemountain.org/arabia
