NABEELA AL KHAYER
Shather Alfairooz
(Gold Specks of Turquoise)
Mixed media on wood
80 x 80 cm
This work of art depicts the intangible human emotions that carry in their midst layers of pain, suffering, and love. These emotions are portrayed in simplified depth, through messages that were sent, some messages arriving to its destination and others lost through time; through words that have been erased by time that still provoke an aching sadness in a deep yet understated spirituality.
I wanted to achieve a strong focus on the color turquoise. This magnificent precious stone gives tremendous power to its bearer; it also inspires one to give incessantly with an abundant outpouring of emotions and feelings that increases a human beings’ endurance and resilience.
The relationship between the painter, the painting and the viewer is interactive, and in this work I unveil vagueness with clarity to convey the intricate complexities of the human psyche and its simplicity at the same time. What the observer receives is a journey into the human’s innermost crevices and then he or she encapsulates the feelings that reveal themselves where they discover that some aspects are not what they seem to be.
From the sturdiness of the turquoise stone comes its might and its power; whereas from the letters emotions emerge. And just like time and the forces of nature create small black and white specks on the turquoise stone, also letters accumulate to create a buildup of spiritually perceptible expressive words.
The constraints are removed and others reappear to take us to a new vision that is unadorned yet unique and poignant.
Nabeela Al Khayer was born in Manama, the Kingdom of Bahrain. As a free spirited contemporary artist, who is also a successful businesswoman, in what remains a very masculine and traditional society, she is driven by a fierce passion to inspire and empower women. Her appreciation for all that is feminine is expressed on every canvas, and in every heat-filled brushstroke. Her expressive portraits are brought to life through her vibrant use of color and shape, and speak volumes of the life heartaches, struggles and joys that all women share, regardless of their culture or socioeconomic status. Nabeela, who describes herself as a colorist, says she likes to "play" with color, fabric and paper photographs, and uses resin, oil, acrylic and water-colors to bring movement, energy, texture, and life to her work. Her portraits often include poetic notes written in the borders, adding an extra dimension to the canvas’s story.
Nabeela, who developed her artistic skills in the Slade School of Fine Art in London and in workshops in Paris and Geneva, has held numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the Middle East and across the globe. Her first solo art exhibition was held in Bahrain during 2002. In 2003 she was awarded the prestigious Silver Leaf Award, and since then she has held exhibitions in the Middle East, Europe, New York and Asia. Her work is among the collections of Bahrain National Museum, Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, as well as many private art collectors. As a contemporary artist in a conservative Middle Eastern society, Nabeela has come under fire for her choice of subject matter; however, despite at times igniting controversy, she continues to be well received by her country and a growing international fan base.