All these artists work in different realms – they would rarely meet. However, the stories they conceptualize bring them together for this feature.

Manga Art Brings the Stories of Another Culture to Our Part of the World

Samah Kamil

The Mangaka and Researcher

Inspiration: Pokémon and other anime shows of the 90s and early 2000s.

What do you find most fascinating about Manga?
Everything! The stories, the drawings, characters, storyboards, bubble talk and every technique used.

Do you think Manga art will spread through Saudi Arabia?
Art is an important theme in Saudi Arabia, and Manga Art is no exception. Some stores already sell Manga books. Besides many Saudi artists are now drawing in manga style.

I also worked on a one of a kind research for my MA. The title of my master research is: Manga Art to Formulate Saudi Arabian Cultural Proverbs Information in Contemporary Drawing and Painting.

How different is Manga art technique from other painting techniques?
Manga has its own art and character style, which is recognized by the distinctive eyes and flowing lines. This type of art is also popular for using just black and white artwork most of the time.

Instagram: artistsoosa
Facebook: Samah Kamil

What better way to know more about this type of art than to join the ones who have united because of it?

Hijazi Anime Club

Abdiah Bougary, Hijazi Anime Club Founder, Est. 2014

Inspiration: Named it Hijazi Anime Club so people from Hijazi cities could join.

Members: Six core members (up to 20 per meet)

Meetups: Twice a month

Hangout Activities:
Anime screenings – Manga Exchanges – Video Games – Cosplay (the practice of dressing up as a character especially one from the Japanese genres of manga or anime) – Trivia

All anime fans are welcome!

Instragram: HijazAnimeClub
Facebook: HijazAnimeClub

Even Ordinary Objects Have a Story to Tell. Installation Art is the 3D Genre that Gives Them Voice

Rashed Al Shashai

Installation Artist

Inspiration: Art pieces based on everyday objects, which are then portrayed as extraordinary.

What tools do you use to put your spin on things?
I worked with a lot of mixed media. It is in my artistic nature to experiment with a variety of things. I like to explore all that is new and redefine all that I already know.

I painted on paper and cloth at the beginning wherein I focused on the artistic sense and a unified concept and even though I integrated other materials into my work, I still felt unfulfilled. So I went back to dabbling with different media after I was done with my MA, which was in construction of abstract materials. For example, I have incorporated pots and strainers that we find in the kitchen into my art pieces.

What does art mean to you?
In my opinion, art is part of everyone’s daily life; only it takes on different forms and is present in different areas. I believe I was born to be an artist and that this is my destiny.

What message do you wish to convey?
My message is one of peace. I aspire to start a visual dialogue between the inner self and art. A message that promotes benevolence, virtue and a positive outlook to life.

Instagram: rashedalshashai

Interactive Art Will Make You Think, Ink and Tell Stories

Momad Shono

Visual Artist and Storyteller

Inspiration: Stories and ink

What defines your distinctive art style?
My work is story and concept based. I work with ink and paper/surfaces to illustrate obsessively detailed narratives. The stories create the world and the world is created by the art.

What made you decide to use walls as your artistic canvas?
Walls are just a small part of where I like my ink and stories to end up. At the moment I predominantly work with paper and ink but I’m now exploring “space” and the use of ink to bring my stories to life. I’m moving more into the interactive art space now so stay tuned.

What is the essence of your work?
I always drew on a small scale, I did books, very intimate things; something I could sit alone with a sketchbook and create. Working on a bigger scale is not necessarily important but if it fits the moment then it makes sense.

How does your character journey through your creations?
All my drawings are based on a story and the main character is Kamin who’s out in my Chapbook. The character always has a thread emerging from his head, which represents the story line. At the end of each story the thread is cut. Then the character goes into another story.

What tools do you use?
Ink, paper, stories, space and a slight of hand and most of my work is done using black technical pens and markers.

What is this piece that you made at Loud Art Jeddah about?
This is the character going through a moment of reincarnation so his head is being cut and then it enters a new story. The body left behind becomes literally mindless. The head is the only thing using the brain and it goes on to create new worlds.

Instagram: moamd.ink
Web: momad.ink

Discover the Digital Artist Who Shattered all Labels and Know the Story of Art Through His Eyes

Rakan Abdel Aziz

Digital Artist and Graphic Designer

Inspiration: Colors, aromas, facial expressions and everything beautiful.

Beginnings:
I studied at a school for children with disabilities and after that the school administration decided to transfer me to a government school so I could mingle with the rest of the children. It was a bit difficult at the beginning but thankfully I adapted really quickly. I reached the 5th grade but then I had to stop because of a pain in my spine that restricted me from sitting for long hours.

What is the message you aspire to deliver through your art?
“Disability does not limit giving.” Each person has a hidden talent that he must discover. Once he discovers it, he mustn’t give in to the disparaging talk he hears from others; rather he must polish his talent and keep going until he becomes a professional.

How did those around you accept your idea to go into the world of art?
In the beginning, I made a lot of effort but I was still not up to the level I wanted. So my family and friends were actually the ones to correct my mistakes in some of the works I showed them. Their notes were and still are very important to me so I always try to avoid making the same errors that they have alerted me to. This is how I gradually progressed along with my self-learning and online lessons.

How long does it take you to finish an artwork?
It depends on the piece itself, sometimes as long as eight hours and other times up to two weeks.

Tools:
I use Photoshop, stylus and a tablet.

Instagram: rakanku

What Better to Bring Stories to Life Than to Put Them in a Video?

Bushra M. Alandijani

Animation with a Passion

Inspiration: Childhood cartoons

What does animation mean to you?
Animation allows me to portray different scenarios that could be impossible to film; I can create a new world in the film while I’m sitting at my desk. Also, the exaggerated personalities are more fun to create and watch.

What are the different kinds of motion graphics?
The field of motion graphics is digital footage, which creates the illusion of movements. It includes 2D, 3D, stop motion animation and live-action videos.

Tita P. won awards abroad so what gave you the idea?
In elementary school, one of my friends said that she felt sorry for the pigeons in Titanic film. I got home and wrote about that in my journal. Years later I visualized it while writing Tita P.

Tools

• Tablet and pen, to draw digitally straight into the computer.
• Animation software like ToonBoom and Flash Animation.
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Premiere

Tell us about your future plans regarding motion graphics.
My future plan regarding my passion is CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery), which is creating realistic illustrations like Titanic, Avatar, How to Train your Dragon and much more amazing movies. I believe animation is the ultimate art form.

Tita P won the Encouragement Award at the 2015 Chitrakatha International Student Animation Festival in Ahmedabad, India.

Instagram: b_alandijani
Facebook: Bushra Alandijani