Life

When art becomes reality

Artists rejoice over women’s right to drive

September 30, 2017

Mariam Nihal

Saudi Gazette

Women’s driving has deeply influenced art in the region. Men and women alike pushed for the change and while some artworks when viral, we saw the emergence of Barbie dolls clad in abayas with car-door wings hoping to get behind the wheel and satirical videos on social media take over the world by storm. Today when the dream has become a reality, we look back at some of the most iconic and popular artworks that are trending again because #SaudiWomenCanDrive.

“When you see a man’s point of view on subjects that are not related to his own gender, it shows the strength of support for the matter much more than when a women tackles it, as she sees it as her right.” Saudi artist Khalid Zahid is seen here with ‘Amal’, which translates to hope in Arabic. The Barbie doll with car wings delves deeper into the relationship between hope and emancipation. To Amal’s luck, women’s dream to drive has now become a reality.

Painting by Saudi artist Tagreed Bagshi. “I have been sharing my opinion by means of paintings that are relevant to this extremely important issue and I was very hopeful that this dream would be realized because Saudi women deserve it,” she said.

A popular piece from ‘Allowed’ series by Kuwaiti graphic designer Mohammed Sharaf went viral in 2013. “Saudi women earned this victory, and they own it,” the artist told Saudi Gazette.

“I don’t like the backseat” from the project called ‘We the Women’ by Saudi artist Areej Khan. The bumper stickers with various slogans endorsed women driving in the Kingdom and went viral on social media in 2009.

By Saudi artist Arwa AlNeami. “In the past we were behind the steering wheel of bumper cars while dreaming to be ideal drivers, but now we can enjoy the collision of the bumper cars because we will drive in reality,” the artist told Saudi Gazette.

‘I am a driver’ from the series ‘I Am’ By Manal Al Dowayan.


September 30, 2017
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