After two years in the making, abstract painter Linda Al Balooshi introduces her creative collection to the kingdom’s art scene by staging her first expressive exhibition at Harbour Gate.
The showcase, entitled Silent Journeys, features 13 paintings inspired by the different tales and emotions shared by people from all walks of life.
“I am very excited about this exhibition,” said the 38-year-old entrepreneur living in Saar. “I have always been passionate about art and thought it was time to follow that passion.
“Silent Journeys was created from the stories told to me from different people in my life and even strangers. People tend to share with me and I put all their feelings in an abstract way on canvas using acrylic paints and even at times, old eye shadow. I love colours and will use a variety of mediums to create something vibrant, detailed and expressive. I also like the concept of ambiguity hence the silent journey.”
Ticket to Heaven, for example, is based on one of her friends who survived a horrible ordeal and shared the moment she saw the light.
“This is one of my favourite paintings,” said Linda, who graduated from Lebanese American University with a major in graphic design and a minor in fine art. “When my friend shared the story, she described what she saw to the best of her ability and I did my best to put her feelings in colour form. The blue background boasts random lines in the foreground and the lines represent the spirits flying to the sky searching for a chamber to rest in peace.
“The background is blue, softened with clouds and the sky. The blue colour emphasises the open space, freedom, intuition, imagination, inspiration and sensitivity.
“The white colour emphasises the peace, tranquillity, purity, innocence, goodness, heaven, cleanliness, faith, beginnings, spirituality, possibility sincerity, protection and softness.”
The colourful exhibition, which is the 37th Art at the Harbour located in the ground floor entrance within the Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), will be open to the public until September 14.
Financial Centre Development Company chief executive officer Angus Campbell said: “We are delighted to have something so different being featured. I don’t think we have had an exhibition that has been so abstract before. Linda is very passionate and I believe her art speaks for itself. It’s very expressive, particularly when you see the descriptions and the thought process attached to it. There is a lot to get out of it for visitors and I think that is the idea of featuring art.
“That’s one of the things we were keen to do; to give different artists from different backgrounds an opportunity to show their art and you never know where that might take them.”
While her sister Danya couldn’t be at the exhibit as she is studying and working in New Zealand, her dad Abdulaziz Al Balooshi, a former banker, and mum Amina Moosa Ali, a property advisor, were proudly standing by her side during the unveiling along with some relatives.
“I am very proud of her,” said Abdulaziz. “I saw this passion in her since she was a child. She is very talented and I’m happy to finally see her exhibition. I have been waiting for it. This is her shining moment.”
Her mum also believes she has a bright future as a painter and that Linda has finally found her true calling.
Now she is setting her sights on creating more exhibitions featuring her abstract style.
“I was so nervous to exhibit my work as I put so much emotion in it but I’m relieved and thrilled that I did it. This is just the beginning.”
Her paintings are priced at BD120 onwards. Those interested can follow her @l.a.a.b22 on Instagram.
