1st International Al Baraha Sculpture Symposium Honours Local and International Artists

Eight sculptors have been honoured today (9December) at the 1st International Al Baraha Symposium of Sculpture, held at Souq Al Baraha in Diyar Al Muharraq. The ceremony was attended by Dr Maher Al Shaer, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Bareeq Al Retaj, and was the culmination of a remarkable two-week journey, where eight distinguished sculptors came together to create life-size sandstone masterpieces using Egyptian sandstone in the traditional setting of Souq Al Baraha between 25th November and 9th December 2023.

The inaugural Symposium event has been hosted by Souq Al Baraha in memory of the late Bahraini sculptor Khalil Al-Hashimi, the first winner of the Merit Award from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Exhibition in Bahrain, and whose original works are exhibited in countries including Russia, India, Oman, KSA, Kuwait, Portugal and Cuba.

Dr Maher Al Shaer commented: “Sculpture is one of the most important early forms of visual art, and has been considered for centuries as the universal language between civilisations for the dissemination of cultures worldwide. Through the pieces created, we see individual artists expressive languages come to life, and we hope to help preserve sculpture as a valuable artform in Bahrain, and encourage young artists to experiment with it. We sincerely thank all the institutions that have supported the event for their contribution to the Kingdom’s artistic development.”

Due to the resounding success of this year’s event, the Souq Al Baraha Symposium is set to become an annual event. This commitment aligns with the venue’s core values of captivating authentic elements of Bahraini culture and preserving and honouring Arabian architecture. Following the symposium, the sculptures created by the talented artists will be displayed at various prominent locations across the Kingdom, including Hawar Resort By Mantis, Four Seasons Private Residences Bahrain Bay, Sheraton Hotel and The Avenues Bahrain.

The participating sculptors represent a diverse blend of international and Bahraini talent, including Asghar Ismaeel, Abdul Wahab Taqi, Mahdi Albannai, Mohsen Ghareeb, Khalil Al Madhoon and Khalid Farhan from The Kingdom of Bahrain, Talal Altukhaes from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Kemal Tufan from Turkey.

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