In realm of creativity, artist combines photography, calligraphy

Manama, Dec. 12 (BNA): A Bahraini artist is combining photography with Arabic calligraphy on a painting that re-visits the family home and revives cherished memories. “Throughout my career, I have experimented with several approaches to painting, and this time I thought about combining a picture I took of our family home gate, Arabic calligraphy and some photoshop editing,” Dayana Al Shaikh said. “It is something novel and fulfills my aspirations not to get trapped inside one or two moulds. I believe that embracing new styles enhances my skills, enriches my experiences and allows me to keep moving forward on my commitment to true art with genuine intuition and deep self-expression.” Dayana said that she selected their home as the still picture in the painting “because it is a real treasure of wonderful memories and is very dear to my heart.” “I grew up in our family home in Um Al Hassam in the outskirts of the capital Manama, and the setting was to me the ideal place. Every inch, every bit of the grand house has a story, often happy and enjoyable. It was a very elated childhood and I have treasured the special moments and I still cherish them. I always recall such moments with great fondness. So, when I engaged in a new painting style, I thought our family home would be the perfect stimulus to keep me going with utter confidence.” Dayana has often used Arabic calligraphy in her paintings. In January last year, she held a charity art exhibition to raise funds for Child's Wish Society, a Bahraini charity that grants wishes to children suffering from illnesses. "Letters of Hope" was a collection of unique Arabic calligraphy paintings that shed light on Dayana's personal experience in fighting cancer with unshakable faith and immovable hope. The exhibition, inaugurated by the Minister of Information, was a powerful combination of optimism and beauty, and featured several paintings that were all sold within hours of the opening. Dayana also experimented with combining coffee and chocolate for her paintings. She recently used coffee and chocolate to paint a Bahraini potter deeply focused on his work, oblivious to the world around him. The end result was hailed as a resounding success. “I am glad when my paintings are a source of appreciation and make other people happy. I hope that I will be able to continue painting as an expression of my own feelings and emotions, but also a message of hope, optimism and beauty that I can share with the local and international communities.”