Ghadah Hamzah AlRabee is a Saudi female artist who has been using chocolate and candy wrappers in her artwork since 2010 and often recreates famous paintings by adding elements of the Arabic culture and tradition. The 39 year-old graduated from Taiba University and has recently signed a marketing contract for her breathtaking art to be displayed at Athar Gallery in Saudi Arabia.
"Art is my life, it is my language" Ghadah tells me, when she visited Art Dubai, she witnessed artists around the world using everything under their hands and turning it into a wonderful work of art.
"Then I remembered how many times I thought of the beautiful chocolate wrappers in their bright colours, how much they drew my attention, I decided to make something beautiful and since then I have done several experiments to implement my ideas using candy wrappers and came out with satisfactory results"
Ghadah has had her work exhibited Kuwait, Dubai, America, Holland and Saudi Arabia, yet one of the greatest challenges she faces is having to prove her presence as a veiled woman, Ghadah wear the full face veil, which means her physical identity is concealed. However, she says by cancelling her "personality, formality and aesthetics when it comes to my artistic work, allows the viewer to be neutral in his view of the work of art without being affected by my physical or external form."
"Learning, experimenting, practising, accepting constructive criticism, humility, and openness to the others ideas" is her idea of what makes a good artist.
Picnic on the Corniche (Jeddah city beach called ) Corniche
Picnic on the Corniche Is redaction of a famous painting by Georges A Sunday on La Grande Jatte ِ,Seurat, French ,- 1884 This work describes the status of Arab life and the privacy of every oriental family, even if it is outside the home in terms of fashion, customs and tradition
Memories of my grandfather 's house
This work is reframing Michelangelo painting The Creation of Adam In this work I rewrite the script of this painting and change its extreme fantasy concept In no way can we attempt to portray the Creator God in any body It can not be seen or described because it is so great I turn it into a more realistic and believable concept. At work, a young man tries to communicate with his memories in his grandfather's house as if addressing his .grandfather who died And we find this man is the same little boy who sticks to his grandmother and as if they are protecting him Grandpa, grandma and young child in their traditional costumes and the young man in fashionable modern clothes
Dream
Redaction of a famous painting Gustav Klimt - The Kiss I pictured the dream of every Arab girl with perfect love and perfect honest Here I left the man as he is without change (in my opinion Gustav mastered the man's )drawing and the way he treats the girls The girl wore her long clothes And her long hair slipped softly Which distinguishes Arab women and decorates her feet with golden anklets.
Self portrait
In this work, the society's view of Saudi women was revived Many people bet on my failure to realize my dream of being a well-known artist because I cover my face So I decided to carry out a personal portrait of myself in the traditional dress of the Abaya, which I always wear on occasions, and it is like a fingerprint for myself
A sweet bride
A sweet bride Farida Kahlo is an artist who has lived a miserable life that has suffered so much in her life from chronic diseases and painful accidents I love to draw her photo as she wears the dress of the traditional Saudi Bride (the name of the Midian costume). Here I try to compensate her for some suffering in her miserable life and to portray her as a glamorous bride wearing roses that distinguishes all her personal pictures as a crown over her head
Saqli Pasha and Madame
Redaction of a famous painting PierreAuguste Renoir "The Sisley Family To (Saqli Pasha and Madame) Here I photographed this work in the background landscape to engrave a traditional door to a popular house and changed the clothes of the man to the traditional Hijaz clothes that are wearing weddings and left the dress of the woman as a bride Here I try to link several eras of old heritage, traditional costumes and modern fashion Whatever modernity is in our lives, we must preserve the entrance to our history and our heritage, so that the change does not go beyond the outward appearance and the preservation of our customs and traditions
Pure love
I photographed how pure love is between the couple as the Prophet Mohamad said: "The best of you is the one who is best to his ".wife, and I am the best of you to my wives
Ghadah's message to Arab female artists around the world:
"When you have a goal you have to believe in yourself, appreciate your talents, challenge obstacles, and support your talent with education and training. You must have a design to achieve your goals, however impossible it may be in others' eyes"