December 30, 2020 - January 5, 2021 HAPPY NEW YEAR Vol 19 - Issue 53 www.gulfweekly.com facebook.com/gulfweeklyonline gulfweekly gulfweeklyonline +973 17299181 Mahdi on the loom, watched by his sister. Threads of Inset, Habib ARTISTIC STREETS Murals for the masses tradition SEE PAGE 2 HE opening of CULTURE REPORT the Bani Jamra By NAMAN ARORA TNaseej Factory in [email protected] the village renowned like my nine-year-old son, for its textiles has given Mahdi, who is now excited to artisans a new hope – learn these skills. of weaving threads of “I believe there will be a tradition into the future bright future for the craft of the kingdom. and within four or fve years The new factory, which Mahdi will be able to teach will also serve as a storefront others.” for their wares and an The 34-year-old has been PATRIOTIC PHOTOS educational centre for locals, following in the footsteps of Snaps of the kingdom tourists and aspiring weavers, his forefathers and hopes to SEE PAGE 3 opened last week after being see Bani Jamra once again in the works for two years. become the hub of textile craft “This new centre, courtesy in the kingdom. of the Bahrain Authority At one time, the village for Culture and Antiquities, boasted more than 50 looms, is exactly what the village one in almost every house, needed, at this time,” Habib with 75 per cent of residents Al Jamri, one of the village’s involved in the craft. weavers, told GulfWeekly. However, for the last two “Now we will be able to decades, the village has Scan the QR code to watch the video! receive more guests and with shared one loom, as younger the two extra looms, produce generations are wooed away even more products which can by jobs in oil and fnance. craft forward as he navigated and hopes to replicate the is also sustainable. AMAZING ‘ARTIPELAGO’ be showcased across Bahrain “Preserving handicrafts and the loom, shooting the shuttle success of the country’s hand- “I think that with the Collaborative Creation and the region. traditional industries is one back and forth across the woven goods industry in opening of this factory, we SEE PAGES 4-5 “It will also encourage the of Baca’s priorities,” Baca threads to get the pattern just Bahrain. are going to see growing next generation of weavers, president Shaikha Mai bint right. “I have been interest in the Mohammed Al Khalifa said There is growing interest working with Habib industry as more at the inauguration of the amongst local and regional to create natural visitors and locals factory. designers to use fabric textiles with linen can come and “We are pinning our hopes weaved by Bani Jamra’s and Scottish wool appreciate the on creators and innovators artisans in their designs. to blend the two intricacy of this who contribute to culture Mhairi Boyle is a Scottish cultures and create process and how it is by continuing to operate in designer who has been something unique,” much better than the an ancient tradition such as working with Habib, the 23-year-old fast fashion, which weaving, which dates back generating new ideas to use designer told is the norm in the Mhairi more than a century in this traditional methods with new GulfWeekly. market right now.” region.” concepts such as different “The whole idea is create The centre is open to the At the inauguration, it gaps and thickness to create products that are fully public from Saturday to STAYING STYLISH was easy to appreciate more exciting fabrics. natural with no chemicals Thursday 8am to 1pm in the New Year, New Threads how Mahdi could one day She has been importing involved, while having a morning and from 3pm to SEE PAGE 5 The new factory carry the tradition of textile- luxury wool from Scotland more contemporary look that 5pm in the afternoon. 2 www.gulfweekly.com LocalNews December 30, 2020 - January 5, 2021 Maryam with her piece Taking art to the masses ART REPORT By NAMAN ARORA [email protected] WO Bahraini artists want to bring street Tart to the masses with their larger-than- life murals painted in various settings across the kingdom. On December 19, Maryam AlSindi painted one of her iconic ‘square people’ pieces on the side of a building in Al Jasra village, near the Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre. Farah and Last Saturday, Mohammed Mohammed Al Mahdi painted a piece showing the hallmarks of a happy life in his ‘child-like’ style of illustration in Umm Al Hassam, near the Youth Innovation Centre. “The goal of this initiative is to highlight spots around Bahrain – both busy and not- so-busy, which would be the right platform to showcase Bahrain’s artists,” Farah Mat- tar, director at Bahrain Author- ity for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) told GulfWeekly. “We wanted to showcase a differ- Maryam’s The Land of Peace and “The Land of Peace and Love is marks of a happy life in Bahrain. He ing cheeks with pink blush dots on ent kind of love for the country. As Love is her largest scale mural to date my homage to Bahrain and I love that chose motifs like a wedding, dhows, his subjects, both human and animals. opposed to the traditional images of and aims to add a stroke of contem- it is in Al Jasra because it shows tour- SUVs and cats because of their pres- When asked about it, he blushed a bit the fag, we wanted artists to show porary culture to a village renowned ists coming to Al Jasra Handicrafts ence in his childhood. as he said: “it refects my shyness.” what being Bahraini and what life for its traditions. Centre a more modern side of our He also continued his child-like Last year’s December Murals were here looks like, so it resonates more According to Shouq AlAlawi, culture,” Maryam said while adding style of illustration to make art more a hit on Instagram as people experi- with people.” head of the visual arts unit at Baca the fnishing touches to her piece. accessible and integrated features of mented with different creative poses The December Murals project is in and curator for December Murals, “I chose to make it interactive the wall like vents into the piece. around them and Baca hopes to see its second year, after being launched the project highlights mid-career by adding the Bahraini fag, so that “I grew up around cats and some- more of that this year as well. last December with four murals, artists – “those who have found their people can pose with it and look like how they bring up this feeling that For more information about the painted in Nabih Saleh, Budaiya signature style but are still looking they are holding the fag.” everything is normal,” the 44-year- artists, follow @by_mariam_alsindi village, Bab Al Bahrain and on the for a large platform to highlight their Mohammed took a different route old artist added. and @almahdiartgallery on Insta- A’Ali Walkway. work.” with his painting depicting the hall- Mohammed is known for highlight- gram. December 30, 2020 - January 5, 2021 LocalNews www.gulfweekly.com 3 Team Sahim Team Malga Leaders of tomorrow WO teams of young Bahraini Picture entrepreneurs have won top Thonours at the regional INJAZ Al-Arab Young Entrepreneurs Competition with their technology- based solutions, writes Naman Arora. The competition, held virtually, attracted 111 students from 13 countries across the perfect MENA region. Representing INJAZ Bahrain, Ibn ATRIOTIC Khuldoon National School’s (IKNS) Team photos taken by Photographers Sahim won the ‘Product of the Year’ and photographers ‘Best Digital Presence’ awards and Kingdom P A Jalil Al Hayki of the Bahrain Photo University’s Team Malga from INJAZ Adel Alansari Club are taking Bahrain won the ‘Client-Focused Award’. Ahmed Ahmed centre stage at a new “Each team member has gained a lot of Ali Janahi exhibition at Harbour skills as we stepped out of our comfort Ali lnashmi Gate within Bahrain zones and learned how to make more critical Ali Zubari Financial Harbour decisions, take risks and act professionally,” Aliaa Maher (BFH). Team Malga’s Aysha Taj told GulfWeekly. Asma Murad The exhibition highlights Team Sahim’s Yusuf Albasri, 17, Talal Duaa Albarzangy the culture and heritage of Radhi, 17, Aneesa Almahmood, 17, Noof Ebrahim Bucherry the kingdom and is being Albastaki, 17, and Shooq Albastaki, 17, Ebtisam Al Thokher run until January 7 in a created a mobile application that connects Shaikha Hanan hybrid format, physically social non-government organisations with Herz Albanki at the BFH and digitally in their potential donors. Hussain Al Fardan a virtual Art Steps gallery, Team Malga, comprised of Aysha Taj, 25, Lubna Alshaybani launched on Bahrain’s Hessa Al bin Ali, 23, Fatima Mohammed Masuma Ahmadi 49th National Day. Ahmed, 24, Fatima Ali Sanad, 22, and Noora Mohammed Al Hajer “The exhibition Ubaid Mansoor, 27, created a comprehensive Mohammed Al Moulani showcases work that web-based platform that connects businesses Nader Albazzaz refects the essence and to one another, as well as employers to job Sawsan Taher pride of Bahrain during seekers, based on an advanced algorithm. Sebahat Isik the annual celebration of A photo by Sawsan Taher “The most important lesson we learned its National Day,” said during the regional competition is that club president Shaikha Hanan bint Hassan Al “The lockdown in the time of pandemic Great Lockdown great achievement usually comes through Khalifa at the launch. caused some of the professional Exhibition at Bin great sacrifce, and is never the result of “Many general themes were discussed, photographers to shift their felds – like Matar House in selfshness,” Yusuf added.