Every day, the Saudi Plastic Arts Garden blooms with new faces carrying culture, qualifications and experience in their field, and today the page presents one of the symbols of this art and its new young generations in this dialogue conducted by Faisal Sahmi Al-Otaibi with the plastic artist Ghalia Al-Mazyad.
Artist Ghalia bint Ibrahim bin Muhammad Al Mazyad, holds a Master of Arts degree in art education, research field: fine art therapy, from King Saud University, in 1436 AH.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education, with first class honors, from King Saud University, in the year 1434 AH.
Certified trainer locally and internationally, from the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training.
Member of the Saudi Society for Fine Arts (GSFT), a member of the Saudi Society for Art and Design at Princess Noura bint Abdul Rahman University, a member of the Art Club at King Saud University, a former member of the Advisory Council of the Department of Art Education, College of Education, King Saud University for the year 1436 AH.
An activist interested in serving people with disabilities.
I attend all events, dialogue sessions, and workshops related to persons with disabilities and their families.
Participation with several private associations and centers, to provide workshops on the effectiveness of plastic activities in early intervention for people with disabilities. The most prominent of this participation is with the Princess Al Anoud Charitable Foundation, and with the Saudi Society for Special Education Jester.
Participated in providing several workshops directed to the 24 gifted students in the Riyadh region for the year 2015, and workshops for female students at King Saud University, and for faculty members and female graduate students at the university.
Participation in all periodic exhibitions of the Department of Art Education, King Saud University, from 1431 to 1436 AH.
Participation in all exhibitions of the Saudi Fine Arts Society, JESFT.
Participation in visual arts exhibitions at the Janadriyah Festival 28 of the year 1434 AH and 29 of the year 1435 AH.
Prepared for a program in museum education.
It received several awards, most notably the university painting competition award, as the university’s art club announces this competitive competition every year at the level of male and female students at King Saud University in their various specializations. An accompanying exhibition entitled Artist and Experience was held in which a group of Saudi visual artists and the winners from the university’s students were gathered. Painting Award for the year 2014.
The artist, Ghalia, spoke about discovering her talent and continuing in this field, saying that talent is a gift from God that he granted to some of his servants, making them people with high abilities that surpass the rest of their peers at their age level, and we can anticipate the presence of talent in the individual since his early childhood, where responsibility lies. The greatest responsibility is for parents to discover their children’s talents and work to develop them so that they are not lost when they grow up. From here, she owes great credit and thanks to God and then to her father and mother, may God protect them, for discovering my artistic talent, as her mother was keen to notice her tendencies and interests from an early age, that is, before she joined school, as her father did. To provide supportive capabilities with continuous encouragement, as the family is the child’s first starting point.
And about her beginning with fine art? She said: Her first beginning with fine art emerged from the school environment, and in particular from the drawing room for the art education subject, in addition to her extracurricular participation within the school walls, and the annual exhibition held at the end of each academic year is considered an incentive for her artistic production. It is worth mentioning that obtaining the title of gifted student in middle school contributed to her academic direction, thanks to God.
Regarding the sources of her experience? She said: She gained many experiences in the various fields of plastic arts, starting from realism to abstraction, at the hands of qualified professors in the Department of Art Education, College of Education, King Saud University, for a period of six continuous years. She also received experience. She worked in the field of art therapy in the Art Therapy Department, Rehabilitation Hospital, King Fahd Medical City during her master’s studies. She was also keen to expand through practical practice and self-education.
Artist Ghalia draws inspiration for her artistic works primarily from man and his social life, as well as from elements of ancient Najdi architecture, and from poetic poems, in addition to the effect of rust on iron, and the effect of erosion factors on buildings as a result of the passage of time.
Artist Ghalia views criticism as a type of expression to convey the critic’s point of view on a topic. Criticism has several types that differ according to its objectives. As for my acceptance of criticism, I do not mind, provided that it is constructive criticism, that is, objective and free from bias.
As for ambition, she aspires to own a center specialized in providing visual art therapy to serve society in general, and people with disabilities in particular.
Accordingly, it hopes that the relevant government agencies will support it by overcoming the difficulties, so that this center will see the light, God willing.
Regarding the establishment of the Royal Complex for the Arts, the artist Ghalia said: The announcement of the Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Adel Al-Tarifi, about the establishment of the Royal Complex for the Arts project, which is concerned with promoting culture and art, is a qualitative leap in the cultural, artistic and intellectual history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and as a visual artist I see that the plans are signs of national transformation. 2020, for the Saudi Vision 2030, led by the Deputy Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, is called the Golden Era of the Arts, so thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Crown Prince for this precious gift to the people of the country.
