By Khaled Al-Abdulhadi

KUWAIT: Boushehri Art Gallery premiered an exhibition on Monday entitled "Art is Life". More than 14 artists participated in the exhibition from six different nationalities with more than 50 artworks. Mohammed Ali, head of 'Breathe Creativity' team, thanked Boushehri Gallery for hosting the exhibition and encouraging the team of international artists. "The 'Breathe Creativity' team started when they were conducting workshops for artists to bring different artistic cultures together. As the days went by, their workshops gained momentum and the artists were being awarded first place in the competitions they participated in," Ali said.

Artists pose for a group photo.

"The goal of the team was to develop the skills of the artists and put forth plans for the future in order to have them reach their goals and their artistic dreams. The aim was to guide our young artists so they could reach the levels of their fellow international artists," Ali added.

Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait Morino Yasunari expressed his amazement over the exhibition. "I didn't really have any expectations coming in, but I was really surprised and amazed to see many innovative and creative female artists in the Middle East. I am really moved by their commitment and their achievements," he said.

One of the artists, Farida Yahya from the UAE, is excited by this exhibition held in Kuwait, and looks forward to many more exhibitions in the future. "My paintings aim to display our heritage in the GCC and in the UAE, especially the painting with the falcon, which is a well-known symbol of GCC culture. My other paintings represent the history of the UAE since its inception and our devotion to our leaders and history," Yahya told Kuwait Times.

A general photo showing guests at the gallery.

Another artist from the UAE, Alia Bin Ali, told Kuwait Times: "Our appreciation goes to Mohammed Ali, who organized the team with different artists to harness their skills from the basics, until we developed to reach our current level. My paintings are mostly done in acrylic, and I like to incorporate the colors blue and white, as they represent hope and ambition. I am passionate about horses. In my painting of horses, I could feel the horses' hooves as I was painting their picture. I am also passionate about architecture, especially Burj Khalifa, which is my favorite building, so I really took care of capturing all of its minute details," Bin Ali added.

Ambassador of Japan to Kuwait Morino Yasunari tours the gallery.

"This is our third exhibition as 'Breathe Creativity'. Our first was in the UAE, then in Bahrain. Thankfully, the exhibition was well received," team leader Amal Al-Mutairi told Kuwait Times. The exhibition was crowded with artists and art enthusiasts on its opening day. The exhibition will be open to the public from Aug 16 until Sept 15 at Boushehri Art Gallery.