An ambassador of Saudi talent that the world is getting to discover day after day, Samiah Khashoggi embraces her culture and heritage across an international career throughout Europe and the Middle East.
One of the first to have worked as a female interior designer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and an acclaimed artist, Khashoggi exclusively speaks to Al Sharkiah about her past, present and future.
Who is Samiah Khashoggi the person and the artist?
Born in Abha Saudi Arabia, I am the daughter of Dr. Mohammad Khashoggi and Khadijah Ismail, both my parents and siblings had a positive impact on who I am today and for that I will be greatly thankful.
I started to exhibit professionally in 1990’s in group exhibitions and successfully had two solo exhibitions one in 2000 and the other in 2014. In between I was busy with my family, a full time job, and life in general.
How would you describe your designs and artistry?
My journey with art has been long but inconsistent, often interrupted by other more pressing career and domestic duties. For me art must be authentic and genuine, derived from personal experiences and observations worth sharing with the public but the process of art making takes time and effort.
I started as a figurative representational artist showcasing my artistic academic skills but gradually I outgrew this approach and style and started to explore different art media and techniques. With time I managed to free myself from the representational style and steered towards a stylized and abstract art, full of my own symbolism inspired by my Saudi context and heritage.
I found out the new approach was more liberating and allowed me to be more visually articulate, frequently adding humor or subtle criticism to my depicted subjects.
And how is your creative process like?
I believe in daily practice like playing the piano. Only great compositions come out of daily routine and hours of practice. I don’t seek perfection in my work but seek the truth. I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses and work on both reflecting my concepts with whatever skills I have developed and techniques
I personally build my art momentum though daily exploration in my studio where ideas are formed out of a sketchbook or journal. I seldom start with a blank canvas, it is too much pressure and can be overwhelming.
What inspires you the most?
Culture, women and nature. I try to find a connection between them all and tell narratives out of close observation of my subject matter. I am always interested in the social aspect of women and the multi roles they play and how they affect their culture and environment.
Nature is closely connected to humans in general more than one thinks and I like to celebrate it as much as I can in an attempt to understand my own individuality and existence.
After all these years of work, what would you say is your proudest career highlight?
Thanks to God I am blessed with many moments that have similar impacts on me, like when I received my MA degree in fine arts with distinction, the success of my 2014 Mashi Mashi solo exhibition, winning Dar Al Hekma 1st Annual Award for Excellence in teaching for 2014-2015, and above all being blessed with a loving family, my true legacy and achievement.
And what’s keeping you busy these days?
I am currently working on projects that address social issues from my own perspective and observation to my surroundings. My goal is to create art that is the change I like to see in the world meaning an eye opener to important issues or values that are long forgotten or marginalized. I feel passionate creating art that does not seek validation but can promote intellectual discussions and engagements.
It is hard to discuss current projects until they are completed, a lot can change in the process of art making.
My focus now is to create a series of tryptic (a series of 3 paintings) that tells a single narrative and focuses on one idea at a time, one painting is not enough to tell a story and many more may seem forced. It is hard for any artist to plan so far ahead. I trust my intuition and process and hope to be content with what I create as an outcome.
My safe domain is my sketchbook where no judgment or expectation is awaiting me, just fun in exploring and experimenting, both of which are very important steps in artistic growth.
What is a piece of advice to Saudi and Arab female artists?
Practice daily, read a lot about your world and globally, self-develop and learn continuously, as well as reconnect with your roots and heritage and extract elements that can build an identity in your work that cannot be duplicated. With technology and the vast availability of visual imagery artists can be overwhelmed and end up being greatly influenced to the point of repetition. To be creative is to find your own visual language and symbolism that will liberate you in your art making and differentiate your work from others.
You can purchase Samiah Khashoggi’s artwork via email skhashoggi@gmail.com or Instagram @samiah_khashoggi.
By Victor Gee
