Latest news with #RoyalAcademyofFineArts
CairoScene
22-07-2025
- General
- CairoScene
Abdulhalim Radwi, The Man Behind Saudi's First-Ever Public Art Exhibit
His commitment to art education and his innovative drive laid the groundwork for the contemporary Saudi art scene, and paved the way for future generations of Saudi artists. In 1964, the modality of art in Saudi Arabia underwent a profound transformation - a seismic shift spearheaded by local artist Abdulhalim Radwi. Born in Makkah in 1939, Radwi's journey from humble beginnings to a celebrated painter, sculptor and cultural director, became the foundational force that irrevocably reshaped the Kingdom's artistic landscape. Radwi's early life was marked by hardship. His father passed away when he was seven years old, plunging his family into poverty. Despite this, his artistic talent, a passion inherited from his mother who was a painter herself, began to blossom with remarkable resilience. She recognised and nurtured this nascent gift, actively encouraging him to pursue art, and instilling in him an early appreciation for creative expression. This burgeoning talent manifested early; he won his first formal painting competition while still in high school in the mid-1950s. This early success was a crucial validation of his talent and of art as a viable pursuit, foreshadowing his profound impact on the nation's culture and fuelling a lifelong determination. Driven by an unyielding passion, in 1961, he saved money from working as a wall painter to travel to Rome, becoming one of the first Saudis to pursue a formal art education abroad. He earned his BA from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome in 1964 and later a doctorate from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1979. This exposure to Western art movements like Cubism and Expressionism profoundly influenced his style, yet he always made sure his work integrated a distinct Saudi essence. Upon his return to Saudi Arabia, Radwi immediately became a catalyst for change. He held the Kingdom's first public art exhibition in Jeddah in 1965, a pivotal event that paved the way for others. He initially worked as an art teacher in Makkah, but his involvement in art quickly escalated to a governmental level. From 1968 to 1974, he served as the director of the Jeddah Centre for Fine Arts, and later, from 1980 to 1992, he was the Director-General of Culture and Arts for the City of Jeddah. In these roles, he was instrumental in establishing Saudi's art scene, creating platforms and opportunities for a new generation of Saudi artists. He also spent time in Madrid in 1973 as the Action Director of the Association of Arab Artists, further broadening his international reach and influence. Radwi's artistic philosophy was deeply rooted in his Saudi identity. He firmly believed that Saudi artists must always keep an eye on their national heritage. His paintings often depicted folkloric scenes, desert life, traditional architecture, and religious symbols like mosques and Makkah. He skilfully blended vibrant colours and Arabic letters with modern ideas, creating a unique visual language. His work, such as 'The Recitation of Qur'an' (which won a prize at the 1988 Biennale in Spain) and 'Old Buildings in Makkah' (which he famously kept in his personal museum rather than selling), exemplifies his dedication to cultural themes. Beyond his canvases, Radwi's most striking legacy might be the large outdoor sculptures that adorn the city of Jeddah. Collaborating with Mayor Mohammed Said Farsi in the early 1970s, he envisioned and brought to life large-scale public installations, beautifying the city and making art accessible to all. His works, like 'Inkwell, Pen and Paper,' transformed urban spaces and became iconic landmarks, helping residents and visitors navigate the city. He produced over 4,000 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and murals. Abdulhalim Radwi passed away in 2006, but his influence continues to be felt. He was a mentor to many, inspiring younger artists like Ahmed Mater and Taha Al Sabban. His commitment to art education and his innovative drive laid the groundwork for the contemporary Saudi art scene, and paved the way for future generations of Saudi artists. The annual Abdulhalim Radwi Award, established by his daughter, Dr. Maha Radwi, continues to celebrate creative talent in Saudi Arabia, ensuring that his legacy of innovation, imagination, and creativity propels Saudi's artistic future.
Bangkok Post
13-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Thai textiles shine on Belgium's iconic Manneken Pis statue
In a striking fusion of cultural diplomacy and creative design, Thailand's Department of Intellectual Property has teamed up with celebrated young fashion designer Shone Puipia to dress Belgium's world-famous Manneken Pis statue in traditional Thai textiles. The initiative marks the first official outfit donation to the City of Brussels in three decades and highlights Thailand's growing push to promote its soft power through Geographical Indication (GI) products Shone Puipia, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and founder of the eponymous brand Shone Puipia, was tasked with creating a bold and playful outfit using two iconic GI-registered Thai fabrics: the intricately woven Lamphun Yok Dok silk and the traditional Mae Chaem teen chok fabric from Chiang Mai. The new ensemble features a modern, humorous twist — a skirt-lifting design playfully titled 'Spot the Rabbit, Pick the Flower'. The outfit merges traditional motifs with gender-fluid fashion, dressing the male figure of Manneken Pis in a skirt-trouser hybrid adorned with a decorative bow, symbolising inclusivity and gender diversity. The Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property stated that the project aligns with the Thai government's broader soft power policy, aiming to elevate the visibility and commercial potential of Thailand's GI products on the global stage. To date, 234 GI products have been officially registered. The Director-General also added that the project not only introduces the beauty and uniqueness of Thai GI textiles to an international audience but also strengthens the creative economy by bridging cultural identity with modern fashion design.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Demna Narrates His Balenciaga Retrospective — All at Once
The new 'Balenciaga by Demna' exhibition in Paris features some of the Georgian designer's own clothes, his voice — and the irreverence and design innovation that defined his decade at the Paris house. It opens with a retrospective of his fashion show invitations — a microcosm of his wry commentaries on luxury, and boundary-stretching antics — and a rejection letter dated 2007, when he was a student at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts and had applied for a menswear internship at Balenciaga. More from WWD Tate McRae Sharpens Black Gown With Pointed Heels for 'F1: The Movie' London Premiere Balenciaga and Puma Launch Their Collection, Including a Ballerina Sneaker and a Reimagined 'Destroyed' Speedcat Was Paul Poiret Fashion's First Lifestyle Guru? 'We've carefully reviewed your application and, after consideration, we will not be moving forward with your candidacy at this time,' it reads. Demna's voiceover — which competes with 49 others, creating a cacophony of voices in a vast showroom space at Kering headquarters — expresses relief, for his professional journey might have turned out differently had he received a yes. After graduating with a master's degree in fashion design in 2006, Demna went on to work for Walter van Beirendonck, Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton before cofounding Vetements in 2014, and assuming the helm of Balenciaga the following year. He is to wrap up his tenure on July 9 with a swan-song Balenciaga couture show before officially taking the design helm of Gucci — which he foreshadows by including an ensemble from his 2021 Hacking Project, which hinged on 'conceptual interpretations of Gucci's recognizable signatures as Balenciaga products.' There is humor in the content — an open laptop broadcasts the 10-minute episode of 'The Simpsons | Balenciaga' screened at his raucous 'Red Carpet' show — and the methods of display, some garments shown on hangars plucked straight from the archive racks, single shoes rotating like an A&W sign of yore. An eerily lifelike mannequin of artist Eliza Douglas, one of Demna's fetish models, recurs twice, modeling the opening look from his debut show for spring 2016, and a semi-fitted gown in scuba satin from spring 2025. A red 'swing' puffer worn off the shoulder like an evening gown, also from his debut collection, shows how Demna reinterpreted silhouettes from founder Cristóbal Balenciaga. His penchant for trompe-l'œil recurs in several looks, while 'ready-made' designs include a clutch purse shaped like a stolen side-view mirror, and a bangle cast in resin to resemble a roll of packing tape. In his narration, Demna explains that he once repurposed a real potato chip bag to hold his phone and other essentials while attending an event. Paparazzi photos aroused curiosity in the Lay's and Doritos of the world — and Balenciaga's merchandising team. To wit: A long-running accessories franchise was born, the pouches crafted in leather with a metallic interior. The designer includes a few of his most controversial designs, including a blue leather duffel that resembles an Ikea Frakta carryall, and his $925 towel skirt, an example of how 'spontaneous gestures' can spark design ideas. 'I love that it makes you question whether this is a joke or not,' Demna says in his narration. 'It's great to question things. Bye bye!' The tongue-in-cheek, thumb-in-the-eye attitude extends through to the exhibition catalogue, printed to resemble a mid-market glossy with too many cover lines, and a fake ad for a Balenciaga watch, bearing a caseback instead of the time. In total, there are 101 exhibits spanning 30 collections and loads of experimentation in volumes, silhouettes and attitude, including his 'fake layering coat' from winter 2018 and perhaps too many 'pantashoes.' 'After this, I promise it's the last one in this exhibition,' he implores toward the end of the cross-shaped display. The exhibition is open to the public from Thursday through July 9 via online registration. Best of WWD Bottega Veneta Through the Years Chanel's Ambassadors Over The Years Ranking Fashion's Longest-serving Creative Directors
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Demna Narrates His Balenciaga Retrospective — All at Once
The new 'Balenciaga by Demna' exhibition in Paris features some of the Georgian designer's own clothes, his voice — and the irreverence and design innovation that defined his decade at the Paris house. It opens with a retrospective of his fashion show invitations — a microcosm of his wry commentaries on luxury, and boundary-stretching antics — and a rejection letter dated 2007, when he was a student at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts and had applied for a menswear internship at Balenciaga. More from WWD Tate McRae Sharpens Black Gown With Pointed Heels for 'F1: The Movie' London Premiere Balenciaga and Puma Launch Their Collection, Including a Ballerina Sneaker and a Reimagined 'Destroyed' Speedcat Was Paul Poiret Fashion's First Lifestyle Guru? 'We've carefully reviewed your application and, after consideration, we will not be moving forward with your candidacy at this time,' it reads. Demna's voiceover — which competes with 49 others, creating a cacophony of voices in a vast showroom space at Kering headquarters — expresses relief, for his professional journey might have turned out differently had he received a yes. After graduating with a master's degree in fashion design in 2006, Demna went on to work for Walter van Beirendonck, Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton before cofounding Vetements in 2014, and assuming the helm of Balenciaga the following year. He is to wrap up his tenure on July 9 with a swan-song Balenciaga couture show before officially taking the design helm of Gucci — which he foreshadows by including an ensemble from his 2021 Hacking Project, which hinged on 'conceptual interpretations of Gucci's recognizable signatures as Balenciaga products.' There is humor in the content — an open laptop broadcasts the 10-minute episode of 'The Simpsons | Balenciaga' screened at his raucous 'Red Carpet' show — and the methods of display, some garments shown on hangars plucked straight from the archive racks, single shoes rotating like an A&W sign of yore. An eerily lifelike mannequin of artist Eliza Douglas, one of Demna's fetish models, recurs twice, modeling the opening look from his debut show for spring 2016, and a semi-fitted gown in scuba satin from spring 2025. A red 'swing' puffer worn off the shoulder like an evening gown, also from his debut collection, shows how Demna reinterpreted silhouettes from founder Cristóbal Balenciaga. His penchant for trompe-l'œil recurs in several looks, while 'ready-made' designs include a clutch purse shaped like a stolen side-view mirror, and a bangle cast in resin to resemble a roll of packing tape. In his narration, Demna explains that he once repurposed a real potato chip bag to hold his phone and other essentials while attending an event. Paparazzi photos aroused curiosity in the Lay's and Doritos of the world — and Balenciaga's merchandising team. To wit: A long-running accessories franchise was born, the pouches crafted in leather with a metallic interior. The designer includes a few of his most controversial designs, including a blue leather duffel that resembles an Ikea Frakta carryall, and his $925 towel skirt, an example of how 'spontaneous gestures' can spark design ideas. 'I love that it makes you question whether this is a joke or not,' Demna says in his narration. 'It's great to question things. Bye bye!' The tongue-in-cheek, thumb-in-the-eye attitude extends through to the exhibition catalogue, printed to resemble a mid-market glossy with too many cover lines, and a fake ad for a Balenciaga watch, bearing a caseback instead of the time. In total, there are 101 exhibits spanning 30 collections and loads of experimentation in volumes, silhouettes and attitude, including his 'fake layering coat' from winter 2018 and perhaps too many 'pantashoes.' 'After this, I promise it's the last one in this exhibition,' he implores toward the end of the cross-shaped display. The exhibition is open to the public from Thursday through July 9 via online registration. Best of WWD Bottega Veneta Through the Years Chanel's Ambassadors Over The Years Ranking Fashion's Longest-serving Creative Directors
Fashion Network
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Antwerp celebrates young creatives with mega fashion show
In the small barrel there is good wine. A collected, secluded city, but close to the sea and rich in cultural fusion. A melting pot of languages and cultures. Perhaps this is the secret of Antwerp's creative richness. Less in the limelight than major centers such as New York, London, Paris, or Milan, the city of diamonds once again confirms its vocation as a hotbed of ideas. Its fashion, in particular, continues to lead the way on the international creative scene, energizing the style offices of the most important luxury maisons with new life. A true global creative hub, each year Antwerp hosts the end-of-year show of the fashion department of the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts. It is a grand celebration of fashion across the board, from the history of costume and technique to material research and new forms of communication. The event, staged under the direction of the Fdc-Flanders District of Creativity and with financial support from the government and local authorities, reflects the spirit of Antwerp, a city that rejects standardization and where small independent fashion boutiques dominate, leaving no room for large chains or department stores. The moment of the fashion show was preceded by an entire afternoon devoted to presentations of the collections of the 14 final-year students. Young designers ready to pick up the baton from the 'Antwerp Six' (think Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Ann Demeulemeester), who graduated right here in the 1980s before revolutionizing the international catwalks with their unconventional aesthetic. The Expo took place at the academy's headquarters, which can boast in its ranks as former students designers such as Af Vandevorst, Haider Ackermann, and Kris Van Assche, to the more recent Demna Gvasalia (Gucci) and Glenn Martens (Diesel and Maison Margiela). The fashion department is public, and young designers fund their projects independently, but in return, the school offers significant financial prizes, such as the 5,000-euro prize named after Christine Mathys, a Dries Van Noten partner who passed away in the 1990s. "In the Antwerp fashion department, there is a group of young, talent-hungry designers who are challenging the world, who are daring, and who excite me about coming to this department every week to take classes and be a part of what they envision for this world," said Brandon Wen, an alumnus and now the artistic director of the department. More than 120 students paraded inside a maxi hangar on the banks of the Scheldt River on the evening of June 7. Thousands of people flocked to the event that entertained the public for more than four hours. It was a true fashion marathon that opened with the creations of first-year students, who were responsible for the famous case study of skirts. A parade of total-white skirts in a wide variety of shapes gave way to graphic compositions, dominated by soft neon colors in bands, before closing with textured experiments with house-dresses and extra-large volumes. The show continued with a two-act plunge into the past by second-year students. They paraded historical costumes (1600s to 1800s) culminating in sublime dance choreography. A techno soundtrack opens the curtain on the second act and provides a backdrop for dresses 'from the future.' Multi-layering dominates: trench coats over bodices on long bell-shaped skirts. Models sport giant shoulder pads, glittery denim, and headpieces in unusual shapes. The third section is dedicated to world costume. Penultimate year designers draw on the traditions of their home nations as inspiration for their collections. A 40-minute tour of the world, from the Dominican Republic to Japan, via Canada, Brazil, and Poland. Also on the runway is Italian Mauro Cuccuru, with his fashion homage to his homeland, Sardinia. The evening culminated with the highly anticipated show of the 14 masters who performed their works under the watchful eyes of their professors and a prestigious international jury also composed of Italians Stefano Martinetto (CEO Tomorrow Group), Rina Tollio (OTB), and Stefano Gallucci (Ann Demeulemeester). Spain's Mari Albores Lojo walked the runway with a reinterpretation of the Galician tradition. American Emiliano Alvarez Torres brought attention to a new ecological narrative, while Dutch Sybrand Jansen reflected on the relationship between the organic and the infinite. The tension between illusion and reality characterized the proposal of South Korean Anji Jiyoung. Chinese Jaden Xinyu Li was inspired by Alain Badiou's work, "In Praise of Love", and conceived of love as a transformative event. Floran Polano took refuge in childhood memories as an antidote to the adult world. His clothes, in fact, were as enveloping as a parent's embrace of their child. George Underwood's paintings inspired the 'surrealist' woman of Belgian Chloë Reners, while fellow Belgian Annaelle Reudink brought to the runway a colorful homage to existence and the infinite lives that coexist within each of us. Knitwear was at the center of Swiss Lille Schmid's proposal; Indian-born Dutchman Amar Singh evaded realities with fantasy or clown looks. From China's Beliu Song came the study of human error applied to clothing choice. Delara Tavassotti's meticulous and super technical work reflected the tension of a life suspended between present and past, while Paula Van Dijck celebrated superficiality as a tool for anthropological investigation through the use of materials that seduce and protect. Finally, Hoyt Zhang's wardrobe created a comfort zone after the traumas of the pandemic. The show ended after midnight with the catwalk stormed by designers and models who hurriedly gained the end of the hangar amid bursts of confetti and applause from the audience. A pro-Palestinian flag and a sign extolling peace also appeared among the revelers. It was a moment of boundless creativity that transcended the trends or canons of the present and became a spokesman for radically new ideas and aesthetics. An event that benefits from a cultural background rooted in the glorious Antwerp Six and now looking to the next six. Who, among these young designers, will succeed?
