Safeya Binzagr

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Safeya Binzagr (born 1940) is a Saudi Arabian artist. She is a supporter of the art scene in Jeddah.[1] Binzagr opened her own museum and gallery, the Darat Safeya Binzagr in 2000.[2] She is the only artist in her country to have their own museum.[3]

Early years[edit]

Binzagr was born in 1940 to a "well-known merchant family" in Jeddah.[4] She was privately taught art in Egypt and went on to earn a degree from St Martin's School of Art in 1965.[2]

Career[edit]

Binzagr's first exhibition took place in 1968.[5] In 1970, she was the first woman to hold a solo exhibition of her work in Saudi Arabia.[6] Despite her art being presented, Binzagr was not allowed to attend the openings of her own exhibitions until Aramco held a private exhibition of her work in 1976.[7] She was instead represented by male members of her family.[7] In 1973, she chose to stop selling her art.[8] In 1979, Binzagr published a book about Saudi Arabian art called Saudi Arabia, An Artist's View of the Past.[4] The book has been translated into English and French.[9]

Her work uses various mediums, ranging from oil paint, watercolor, pastel, drawing and etchings,[4] and often centers around daily life in Saudi Arabia.[4] She has series of works based on themes such as marriage customs, local costumes and old homes in Saudi Arabia.[10] Binzagr paints cultural themes in order to preserve the cultural traditions of her country.[10] Some of her paintings are based on descriptions given to her by older women about their lives.[11] Binzagr meticulously researches her paintings, either by capturing through photographs images of buildings, craftwork and neighborhoods or by looking through historic documents and photography.[10] Much of the history she has recorded belongs to the Hejaz cultural tradition.[9]

Binzagr's work can be seen in her museum, the Darat Safeya Binzagr, where admission is free.[12] She started to imagine a place where she could permanently display and curate her work in 1989.[13] The museum took about nine years of planning and construction and was opened in 2000.[10] The museum serves as her home, her studio, and as a gallery of her work.[14] Binzagr hosts public events at her museum to promote art in Saudi Arabia.[9]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Fareed, Saleh (12 January 2016). "South African Artist Leaves His Mark on the Streets of Balad". Saudi Gazette. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Safeya Binzagr (Biographical details)". The British Museum. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Artist Student's Work Selected for 55th Venice Biennale". University of Sussex. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d "Safeya Binzagr". Greenbox Dictionary of Saudi Arabian Artists. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  5. ^ Naseem, Sumaiyya (20 October 2015). "13 Things You Should Know About Saudi Artist Safeya Binzagr". Destination Jeddah. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  6. ^ Elgibreen 2014, p. 7.
  7. ^ a b Elgibreen 2014, p. 21.
  8. ^ Elgibreen 2014, p. 38-39.
  9. ^ a b c Fatany, Samar (26 January 2013). "The Saudi Art Movement Deserves More Attention". Al Arabiya News. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d Nawwab, Ni'Mah Isma'il (2001). "Painting Cultural History". Aramco World. 52 (1). Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  11. ^ Elgibreen 2014, p. 12.
  12. ^ Elgibreen 2014, p. 8.
  13. ^ "Darat Safeya BinZagr". Saudi Art Guide. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  14. ^ Maisel, Sebastian; Shoup, John A., eds. (2009). Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab States Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Arab States. Vol. 1. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 158. ISBN 9780313344466.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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