By Silwan Eshki

Jeddah’s art scene has seen a recent surge in popularity with people frequenting galleries, bazaars and community events more often. With this renewed interest, artists have come out from every corner of Saudi society to forge a brand new art scene.

A few of these artists are expatriates working to contribute to the growing local artistic community. Eli Acheson is a British woman who has dedicated most of her paintings to describe, explain and illustrate the beauty of her experiences in Saudi Arabia.

At her exhibition organized by Jeddah Atelier and entitled “An Artwork in Every House”, Acheson presented several pieces of her work. Jeddah Atelier has always been in favor of supporting community programs through arts and creativity.

One of Acheson’s inspirations is the conservatism and male dominance in Saudi society. At first glance it seemed as if Acheson only paints objects, however that isn’t the case. Using oil paints on canvas she uses diluted and light colors to paint what she sees.

She said that the environment in Saudi Arabia along with the atmosphere seriously affected the way she paints and colors her paintings, including her specialty: sand dunes. Bringing out the golden essence of the sand and the heat of the sun reflection, Acheson’s creations make for a unique and inspiring reflection of Jeddah life.