A stroke for peace

Thirteen-year-old Mariam Bader has a message of peace to convey, but rather than saying it with words, she prefers to use a brush, palette and canvas to express it.

"I have chosen the message of peace because the world is so full of violence, wars, killings, and bad people. But I feel when I draw I am able to inspire people to think beyond themselves. I want to send a message saying it's all wrong, people need to realise that they are not doing the right thing," explained the schoolgirl who attends the Arabian Pearl Gulf School in Khamis.

At a recent art exhibition held at her school, the talented young artist displayed 50 of her paintings.

Rashida Sulaiman, vice-principal said: "We hold exhibitions for all our students but Mariam has her own little corner featuring all her work."

The eighth-grade student has also decorated the walls of her school.

And, at an event held in February at the Bahrain International Circuit, Mariam and her fellow schoolmates painted an entire wall that had been allotted to service their creative endeavours.

The competition asked for students to paint images of the Formula One.

"When I first saw the wall, I thought it would be impossible to draw anything. But with the help of my friends and teacher, we managed it just fine," she said.

Rayesha Jae Laput, art teacher said: "She was the leader of the group and she came up with a great idea of drawing a huge eye with images of the Formula One cars and other events.

"Instead of drawing the entire body and wasting space, she came with the idea of having everything included from the eye's point of view!"

Mrs Sulaiman said: "Mariam is an extremely talented child. While discussing art ideas, she may not be very spontaneous - she takes her time, but the outcome is always brilliant."

Mariam, from A'Ali, has been painting since the age of three.

She said: "When I began to draw I started with cartoons. I would watch Mickey Mouse and observe the hands and legs. I would then try to draw it on my own taking my own time and practicing till I perfected it.

"I love and adore drawing African women; their skin colour, thin bodies and colourful accessories are very pleasing to draw.

"Now I am practicing on landscapes, animals and nature. I used to try and draw not only during my holidays, but also on school days and I used to practice a lot."

The schoolgirl added that her family has been very supportive of her talents.

"My mother has been extremely encouraging. She has a collection of all my paintings - even my scribbling. She files them and adds any new ones that I draw."

Her mother, Safa Taha, a lecturer in molecular medicine at the Arabian Gulf University, said: "I have a photo of her when she was a little girl and started drawing, mixing colours and playing with it. She has been amused by colours since a very young age.

"She is a very sensitive girl. She expresses herself through her drawings."

As well as the support of her mother, Mariam also credited her teachers for their guidance and inspiration.

"The school has been very supportive of me. They have always encouraged me to climb higher on the ladder to success through advice, suggestions and even media coverage. They made me popular!" she said.

She expresses the affection of a mother's warmth explicitly through her paintings, and has also tried to challenge herself further by painting a portrait of her mother.

"I made one, but it wasn't too accurate. But my mother told me not to give up hope and to keep practicing until one day I can master at it," she explained.

Mariam is the only artist in her family, although her little brother, Ahmed, 12, likes to watch and imitate her.

"He sometimes asks me to allow him to try a hand as well and help him to draw," she said.

For the future, the young artist has a logical plan to make money as well as keep her hobby alive.

"If I make a painting and sell it for BD300 and do it over and over again ... what then? Since I love art I want to work in a field related to it for instance interior decorating or fashion designing where I can get a good job as well as continue with my hobby."

Mrs Taha added: "My daughter has a lot of talent within and someday she will grow up to become a very famous artist - I have always believed in that."