Sadiya A. Nadeem Saudi Gazette Inspiring. Aspiring. Captivating. Three words that best describe Behance-Jeddah. For the fifth time, Tashkeil recently hosted Behance-Jeddah, a unique creative event that bridges the gap between talent and opportunity. Behance-Jeddah gives creative individuals a chance to not only showcase their work to a large audience, but also receive feedback in the form of constructive criticism, and connect or collaborate with an organization or another likeminded artist who is interested in their work. Twenty-one creative people comprising 13 exhibitors of artworks and eight speakers showcased their work and worth at Behance-Jeddah to around 200 guests who came from all walks of life. Artworks of exhibitors – Alaa Serafi, fashion designer; Ty Shoosha, Sameerah Obaidullah, and Qadriah Basalamah, graphic designers; Salwa Samarqandi and Youssef Yahya, architecture; Ahmed Jeddawi, fine arts; Ahmed Al Aql, Ul + UX; Yasser Al Turki and Mohammed Karam, photographers; Radwa Kader and Haneen Alzarfarani, paintings; and Ola Sawan, pop art – were put on display at Tashkeil's Gallery. The speakers — Mohammad Tayeb, product designer; Sarya Jamal, chair designer; Omat Al Dhad, performers; Salman Kabbani, fashion photographer; Aya Jibreal, calligrapher; Graphytes; creative solutions; Abdulrahman Aburahma, product designer/architect; and Nuha Qushmaq, architect — delivered their talks at Tashkeil's Creative Hall. The guests reviewed and listened to each individual's work, and voted anonymously for each one them on a scale of one-five. Their votes, however, only accounted for 50 percent of the total.
The remaining votes came from the creative jury members ? CEO of Tashkeil Sofana Dahlan, Interior Designer at 3NJeddah Nawaf Nahar Al Naffar, Coach and Media Expert Ziad Jarrar and Founder and Art Director of Marcens Branding Agency Yasser Alhumaikani. Omat Al Dhad — part of Run Junction that comprises performers Anas Arabi and Hamza Fawaz ? received maximum combined votes from the jury and guests, and was declared the overall winner of Behance-Jeddah's fifth session. “We were not expecting to win as there was so much great content being delivered by others. We had left even before the winner was announced. And when we found out that we had won, it was amazing. We felt really proud,” said Arabi. Among the exhibitors, Karam and Jeddawi received appreciation coins. “It felt great and proud to win the appreciation coin,” said Jeddawi, who displayed his calligraphic art in Diwani, Sumbuli and freestyle fonts. Karam said: “It was a great feeling. When I heard my name I jumped up like an Oscar winner and couldn't believe myself.” He added: “The advantage of having a Behance portfolio review is that you get direct comments from the jury and the guests. It was an amazing feeling to hear live adorable comments.” In the speakers' category, Jamal and Jibreal, who got accolades for their work, were also presented with prestigious appreciation coins. Jibreal said that the entire Behance event was very energetic. “Tashkeil is the backbone for such creatives and all the credit goes to them for putting in such efforts. (At Behance) I got to know more creatives and shared experiences and ideas with; its a great environment for that,” she said, adding that she felt honored on being awarded with the coin.
Jamal, who exhibited her first collection “Pieces of Me” at Tashkeil, said: “It felt great. I wasn't expecting to win because all the other speakers were amazing talents, Mashallah. It meant so much to me because for me this is out of my comfort zone. I am actually a pharmacist, and I know there is a huge art movement here in Saudi Arabia so I've been very intimidated to share my work in the past. Winning feels great because it gave me such confidence and motivation to keep going. More than ever now I am determined to prove myself and that is how the appreciation coin made me feel.” The pharmacist-cum-artist thanked Dahlan for supporting and encouraging her to participate in the creative event.
Al Naffar, who was overwhelmed after witnessing the creative talents at Behance-Jeddah, credited Tashkeil for gathering a pool of talent under one roof. “It was a great experience. I loved the energy and the organization of the event. Walking in and seeing the new generation present such work really impressed me. I felt really happy with what I saw and felt,” Al Naffar said, adding that Tashkeil is a “strong backbone” behind such initiatives. Dahlan, who orchestrated the entire event from its inception to execution, said: “The reason why Tashkeil embraces and sponsors events like Behance is to provide creative individuals with a platform to grow in the creative industry through getting feedbacks on their portfolios and build a network.” The master of the ceremony, Hassan Dennaoui, or more popularly known as Big Hass, infused commendable energy into the event with his presence and hip-hop hosting style.
