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Talented teenager Dana Mahmood is captivating art lovers across the kingdom with her first solo exhibition paying homage to her beloved home country of Bahrain.
The 14-year-old Sitra Intermediate Girls School student has created 18 stunning works of art inspired by the kingdom’s rich heritage, landscape, architecture and nature.
The colourful collection, which took 16 months to complete, is on display at Harbour Gate’s south ground floor entrance within the Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), and is open to the public until Saturday.
“It was really great of Harbour Gate to give me the opportunity to hold my first solo exhibition in Bahrain,” Dana said. “That’s why I decided to allocate my entire exhibition to the love of my country. I was so excited when I saw my work on display.”
Dana thanked the Financial Centre Development Company and its CEO Angus Campbell for giving her the opportunity as she is the youngest artist to date to be featured. More than 30 visitors, including her proud parents Mohammed Sajjad, 50, an operations manager, and Eman Hassan Hubail, 37, an HR manager, attended the recent launch of the 26th Art at the Harbour Exhibition.
Dana’s exhibition features a variety of acrylic paintings focusing on the BFH, Manama skyline, falcons and camels and Bahrain’s ‘chai culture’, as well as traditional dress delights.
“This exhibition is a unique reflection of our kingdom, not only reviving some elements from the old Bahraini culture, heritage and lifestyle, but also featuring other sides of the current modern life and beautiful nature,” she explained.
“I felt like I owed it to my country to dedicate time and effort to reflect its beauty on canvas.”
Dana, says she was inspired by renowned Bahraini painter Abbas Al Mousawi, and has been fascinated by art since the tender age of six. Her love for drawing and painting grew and she began to gain guidance from various Bahraini artists and enrolled to study with the Bahrain Art Society.
Since then, she has participated in Shaikha Suad Al Sabah’s art festival for GCC children in Kuwait and has received recognition for her talent from the Ministry of Education in Bahrain.
Her dream is to inspire other young artists and work even harder to perfect her skills. She said: “I paint because I’m passionate about it and I will keep painting until I reach my goal of being one of the best.”
Her mum Eman is thrilled with her daughter’s accomplishments and says she continues to amaze her with her artistic prowess. “Seeing her works of art on display at her first exhibition made me so proud,” added Eman. “She is growing up so fast and I believe she has a bright future ahead of her.”
