JEDDAH — One of the landmark bazaars of the year, Bisat Al-Reeh, concluded in Jeddah showcasing in the newest products of local designers and artists. Held between June 22 and 27 at Jeddah International Exhibition Center, Bisat Al-Reeh was awaited by visitors every Ramadan for the latest goods made by locals from all over the Middle East. In the midst of traditional clothing and crafts, one particular booth stood out in the exhibition hall. Arriving from Kuwait, Artsharks presented a gallery of modern art with an Arab style. Participating in Bisat Al-Reeh for the second year in a row, founder Manayer AlSharekh said she designed collages that were either custom-made or ready-made. “We hand draw it then input it in the computer and add pictures and collages,” she explained. One display was of the local soccer clubs in a collage proclaiming, “No to sports intolerance”. Another style of 3-D collages depicted a visual autobiography through a series of photos in different stages of the person's life. A selection of collages on the lives of Saudi kings was displayed, showing a timeline of the rulers' old photos to the most recent ones. In addition, AlSharekh had a collection of caps with Arab calligraphy, saying, “We always see young people writing Arabic using English letters and numbers. I decided to print English song lyrics in Arabic script”. AlSharekh said she used this idea last year, using antique English dictionary paper dating back to 1808. "This year I modified it and printed the lyrics on music sheets,” she said. Prices ranged between SR8,000 and SR15,000 for the artwork.
