GULF WEEKLY-
Bahraini artist Feryal Ishaq Bastaki is excited to co-host her first art exhibition for this year from February 3 to 5.
Ten young artists will showcase their works to the local art community at the event where Feryal’s vibrant creations will also be on display.
“I have a series of exhibitions lined up this year, the first of which will be for young artists and university students at a media centre in Janabiya. I’m organising this showcase with my partner Bader Al Aali, who, like me is an experienced artist, and will participate too,” the Saar resident told GulfWeekly.
The local talent practices numerous artistic styles, including Khayyami, a form of Persian art. A popular theme in this art form is ‘lovers amid nature’, which Feryal feels might be ‘too bold’ for some and hence she decided to blend this style with traditional Bahraini art, a widely accepted style in the Arabian Gulf.
“While Khayyami represents the romantic side of me, pop art represents my tough side,” Feryal revealed, adding that she uses bright colours with clear strokes for the latter, a testament to her personality, which is ‘a mix of cat and lion’.
She also practices digital art and uses acrylic paint for her physical paintings.
Feryal’s artistic process involves sketching on photoshop and shifting to canvas after assessing the final result.
Two of her favourite creations are Pearl Merchant’s Daughter and Bahraini Woman.
“The latter portrays the traditional Bahraini woman with mashmoom (a local plant variety with multiple uses including medicine and accessorising) in her hair,” she said. The subject in the stunning art work has an eyebrow missing and when asked about its symbolism, Feryal explained that there’s none.
“The reason is her eyebrow is sharp and big, which puts the total focus on the eye, and her forehead is narrow. To balance the aesthetic, one eyebrow was enough. Viewers don’t even notice it, unless I draw their attention to it,” she added.
“I’m fascinated with portraits and my main focus is Bahraini culture,” added the Omar Khayyam fan, who is inspired by the artists in his poetry and continues to refer to their art especially when she paints a face.
Omar Khayyam was a popular Persian mathematician, astronomer and poet.
Last year, Feryal fulfilled one of her goals of permanently exhibiting her works at malls and hotels.
“I had mentioned Naseef restaurant during a television interview, and the owner, Ameena Naseef, kindly invited me to display my creations at Seef Mall in Seef District during Ramadan. It’s now showcased there permanently. I would also like to express my appreciation to The Art Hotel and Resort general manager Ramez Nemeh for displaying my art on a TV screen in the hotel’s lobby,” she added.
Feryal, who began doodling at the age of 12, owes her artistic achievements to her high school art teacher who noticed that her drawings and paintings were better than most other students her age.
However, she believes her career in this field took off at university when she enrolled for an art course as an optional subject. It was there that she honed her skills, especially sketching.
However, life had other plans for the creative who went on to become an English language teacher after graduating in English literature with a minor in French from the University of Bahrain.
“I worked at several government schools and teaching took all of my time and energy,” Feryal explained. “Eventually, I landed a job at the Ministry of Education where I was promoted to join their Educational Supervision Directorate and worked there for many years.
“Art seemed to fade, until I decided to retire and pursue painting full-time. Persian art has always been my inspiration, those beautiful faces with sleepy eyes… I don’t have a formal degree in art but I learned through persistent observation until I mastered the techniques.
“I started participating in art exhibitions in 2012. So far, I have showcased my work in Bahrain and Tunisia and I’ve also displayed at online exhibitions in Egypt and Italy.”
Joining the social media wave, the creative started uploading her art on Instagram in 2020.
“There weren’t many exhibitions happening in Bahrain due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but posting on Instagram made me feel like my art was being seen. I decided that I would share something every day.
“I’m grateful to my social media followers who have offered immense encouragement over the years.”
Around the same time, she also started printing her artwork on merchandise such as bags, rugs and magnets, which gained popularity among her patrons.
Feryal’s vibrant bookmarks have a completely different fan base altogether.
The former educator has big plans for 2024 and among the events in the pipeline are I’m a Woman exhibition in March, an international cultural exhibition in April and a children’s exhibition in November.
For details, follow @feryalisshaq on Instagram.
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