Artists from around the globe unite to reflect on the role of of innovation in contemporary Islamic arts and design

Kuwait City, Kuwait – 3 February 2020:   Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre is delighted to announce the launch of the “Kuwait Arts Forum” which will be held at the Fine Arts Centre between  13th to 15th of February 2020. The annual event is dedicated to highlighting central themes in visual arts today and to fostering debate and dialogue on arts and culture across the Gulf region.

The first edition of the forum aims to shed light on the role of innovation in Contemporary Islamic Arts and Design as they exist in the twenty-first century. Invited speakers and artists will demonstrate how Islamic art and its rich visual heritage continue to influence their work. 

Curated by Dutch author and artist Eric Broug, the 2020 “Kuwait Arts Forum” will be a  3-day forum featuring eight talks, one keynote speech, two roundtables, and six workshops led by prominent artists, designers, media creators and art professionals from Kuwait, the UAE, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Andorra, the Netherlands, Canada and the UK.

The participants will present and showcase their artistic practice and artworks while educating and engaging with the audiences on topics such as drawing using random shapes, mastering handwriting, calligraphy, the art of graffiti making and abstract Arabic writing.  The local and international artists and speakers include Eric Broug, Jassim Nasrallah, Mahmoud Tamman, Teakster, Asrae Yazdani, Mohammad Sharaf, Claudio Cravero, Yaman Al Baker, Ahmed Keshta, Ahmed Alholi, Meshari Alnajjar, Abdullah Alotaibi, Husain Albanay, Roch Michel and Alia Farid. 

Curator, Eric Broug said, “With the first edition of “Kuwait Arts Forum”, we intend to contribute to the revival of innovation in Islamic arts and design. We are confident that the three-day forum will inspire a broad range of art practitioners, students and professionals to think about what the role of Islamic art can bring in the present day. I’d like to thank Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre and its Fine Arts Museum for taking the initiative to organise this international plaftform that will witness the collaboration of experts from around the world for the first time in Kuwait.  After all, the best ideas are always generated when one can discuss and share with likeminded people.”

Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre is one the many projects developed by the Amiri Diwan to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and promote critical, creative, and interpretive thinking within Kuwaiti society through world-class exhibitions and educational public programmes.