Artist emboldens dreams as she creates depth in the beautiful women she draws

Layal Al Thawadi next to her favorite artwork

Bahrain: Layal Al Thawadi gave natural wide smiles as she took time to explain the meaning and story behind her paintings, letting curious people understand that she cared about her work and appreciated their queries and feedback.

The architecture college student was making her debut on the public arts scene, fulfilling, before she turns 19, one of her major dreams – Displaying her artwork in an exhibition open to a highly discerning public in Bahrain.

And the dream was sweeter because her mother, Dayana Al Shaikh, and her grandfather, Ali Al Shaikh, both accomplished artists with a rich history of displaying art in public, also showed off their artwork in the same exhibition, “Generations”.

For the grandfather, daughter and granddaughter, the question was “what happens if the theories of different artistic styles are merged to exhibit the artist’s experimental spirit?”

They believed that “art is a journey across generations filled with inspirations and emotion transfer.” The exhibition thus merged visions of three different styles to expresses the philosophy and beauty of art.

For Layal keen on reaching out to the community with messages to inspire ambitions and embolden dreams, the exhibition was also her first strong test in how to communicate with people with varying inclinations towards art and with different reactions to her paintings and style.

Deep inside, she was aware that she needed to adapt to the visitors’ response, be it support, admiration, puzzlement or disagreement. But she was a natural in explaining her paintings, keeping the visitors’ precious attention and making sure she did not squander it through unclear communication, verbal digressions or nonverbal distractions.

Donning a black mesh and lace dress and letting her hair cascade down her back, Layal wanted everyone to appreciate how her acrylic drawings were a testimony to the beauty of women as they showed their emotions that she artfully conveyed on the canvases.

Three generations of artists merge three different styles to expresses the philosophy and beauty of art

“I loved all the paintings by Layal because they showed a deep reflection on the strength and fortitude that women have,” Osama, a visitor, said. “I cannot believe that they were the work of a young woman. She is really talented, and I look forward to seeing more of her drawings soon.”

“I love the way she portrayed the beauty of women who had Arabian features and wore pretty earrings,” Fatima, another visitor, said, pointing to Serendipity, one of the drawings.

“There is a trace of sadness, but it is mainly self-confidence and a message of hope. The dominant blue color is wonderful as it augments the sense of calmness.”