Deaf artist breaks barriers with solo debut in Jeddah
JEDDAH: 'It's never too late to follow your dream,' says Elham Abu Talib, who has held her first solo exhibition in Jeddah after 38 years.
The Saudi artist is no stranger to the local art scene, having taken part in exhibitions across the Kingdom and overcome the barriers accompanying being severely deaf.
And at the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts in Jeddah on Sunday, Abu Talib showcased more than 40 paintings to leading artists and lovers of the genre.
Titled 'Inspiration,' the exhibition marked a milestone, presenting her work to the public while highlighting her artistic journey amid years of persistence.
Abu Talib hopes to represent the Kingdom in international competitions. She also hopes the arts society will continue supporting disabled and female artists by providing platforms for their creativity.
Her passion began in childhood, when natural talent blossomed into fine art shaped by a beautiful dream. She lost her hearing as a child and faced speech difficulties, but met her challenges with patience, courage, and ambition.
Determined to express herself, she used a brush and colors as her voice — turning her childhood dreams into vivid reality.
She shared that hearing loss kept her from entering university, but her late father convinced her it did not mean giving up her ambitions.
Inspired by his words, she began participating in exhibitions while raising her children and fulfilling her duties as a mother.
She believes her disability has sharpened her visual perception — a gift she channels into her art.
'I'm so happy that, after 38 years, my dream has come true with this solo exhibition,' she said. 'I thank the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts in Jeddah for giving me this opportunity.'
Abu Talib hopes to represent the Kingdom in international competitions. She also hopes the arts society will continue supporting disabled and female artists by providing platforms for their creativity.
Maha Abdulhalim Radwi, secretary-general of the Radwi Art Prize, said the artist had finally achieved a major milestone, adding: 'This event allowed her to showcase her unique perspective and creative talent to a wider audience, proving that art transcends communication barriers.'
Mohammed Al-Subaih, the director general of the SASCA, said Abu Talib had dreamed of a solo exhibition for nearly four decades — and was now finally living that dream.
He added: 'She's participated with us in many workshops and group exhibitions; now it's time to celebrate her first solo show.
'She deserves all the support and encouragement.'
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Arab News
10 hours ago
- Arab News
Deaf artist breaks barriers with solo debut in Jeddah
JEDDAH: 'It's never too late to follow your dream,' says Elham Abu Talib, who has held her first solo exhibition in Jeddah after 38 years. The Saudi artist is no stranger to the local art scene, having taken part in exhibitions across the Kingdom and overcome the barriers accompanying being severely deaf. And at the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts in Jeddah on Sunday, Abu Talib showcased more than 40 paintings to leading artists and lovers of the genre. Titled 'Inspiration,' the exhibition marked a milestone, presenting her work to the public while highlighting her artistic journey amid years of persistence. Abu Talib hopes to represent the Kingdom in international competitions. She also hopes the arts society will continue supporting disabled and female artists by providing platforms for their creativity. Her passion began in childhood, when natural talent blossomed into fine art shaped by a beautiful dream. She lost her hearing as a child and faced speech difficulties, but met her challenges with patience, courage, and ambition. Determined to express herself, she used a brush and colors as her voice — turning her childhood dreams into vivid reality. She shared that hearing loss kept her from entering university, but her late father convinced her it did not mean giving up her ambitions. Inspired by his words, she began participating in exhibitions while raising her children and fulfilling her duties as a mother. She believes her disability has sharpened her visual perception — a gift she channels into her art. 'I'm so happy that, after 38 years, my dream has come true with this solo exhibition,' she said. 'I thank the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts in Jeddah for giving me this opportunity.' Abu Talib hopes to represent the Kingdom in international competitions. She also hopes the arts society will continue supporting disabled and female artists by providing platforms for their creativity. Maha Abdulhalim Radwi, secretary-general of the Radwi Art Prize, said the artist had finally achieved a major milestone, adding: 'This event allowed her to showcase her unique perspective and creative talent to a wider audience, proving that art transcends communication barriers.' Mohammed Al-Subaih, the director general of the SASCA, said Abu Talib had dreamed of a solo exhibition for nearly four decades — and was now finally living that dream. He added: 'She's participated with us in many workshops and group exhibitions; now it's time to celebrate her first solo show. 'She deserves all the support and encouragement.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
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Louvre Museum Shuts Down, Sounding the Alarm on Overtourism
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The Mona Lisa will finally get her own dedicated room, accessible through a timed-entry ticket. A new entrance near the Seine River is also planned by 2031 to relieve pressure from the overwhelmed pyramid hub. "Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves," Macron said in January. But Louvre workers call Macron hypocritical and say the €700–800 million renovation plan masks a deeper crisis. While Macron is investing in new entrances and exhibition space, the Louvre's annual operating subsidies from the French state have shrunk by more than 20% over the past decade, even as visitor numbers soared. "We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum," Sefian said, "but when you scratch the surface, the financial investment of the state is getting worse with each passing year." While many striking staff plan to remain off duty all day, Sefian said some workers may return temporarily to open a limited "masterpiece route" for a couple of hours, allowing access to select highlights including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The full museum might reopen as normal on Wednesday, and some tourists with time-sensitive tickets for Monday may be allowed to reuse them then. On Tuesday the Louvre is closed. A museum in limbo The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year, more than double what its infrastructure was designed to accommodate. Even with a daily cap of 30,000, staff say the experience has become a daily test of endurance, with too few rest areas, limited bathrooms, and summer heat magnified by the pyramid's greenhouse effect. 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Arab News
17 hours ago
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Razane Jammal authors children's book
DUBAI: British Lebanese actress Razane Jammal is set to release a children's book titled 'Lulu & Blu.' For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The actress, famous for her roles in Netflix series 'The Sandman' and 'Paranormal,' took to social media on Sunday to share the news, writing: 'What started as a little story I wrote seven years ago turned into a book for your little ones. I've poured my (heart) into this and I'm thrilled to invite you all to our first launch in Beirut.' The launch event is scheduled to take place on June 25 at community space Minus 1 in the Lebanese capital. The actress will perform a reading of the children's story, which tells the tale of a 'vegetarian lioness, a friendly fish and their most unusual friendship,' according to the author. Published by Turning Point Books, the story was illustrated by Sasha Haddad, a Lebanese illustrator who graduated from Cambridge School of Arts in 2014. In the role that arguably shot her to stardom, Jammal played Lyta Hall in 2022's 'The Sandman,' based on the legendary graphic novels. Her character dreams of her dead husband each night, slowly realizing that he is not a figment of her imagination but is hiding out in the dream world. It is a part that Jammal managed to play truthfully with subtlety — a subtlety for which she credited her mother in a previous interview with Arab News. 'I've always been extra, and my mom was far more subtle than I am. I had to fine-tune myself to vibrate on her frequency, a frequency that was very sweet and very raw, and vulnerable and nurturing. I took that from her. 'I grew up having a simple, community-based life in a place where you have 500 mothers and everyone feeds you and you feel safe — even if it's not safe at all. At the same time we went through so many traumas, from civil wars to assassinations to losing all our money in another financial crisis.'
