By Sohila El Saadany
Using concrete, coral and seashells, Lina Qummosani plunges into the art scene.
The new artist on the block, Lina Qummosani, constructs artwork using seashells, coral, paint and concrete. She makes centerpieces, plant pots and much more. She didn’t start out as an artist though, she says, “I began my concrete and coral art a couple of months ago.”
Qummosani graduated through the Future Center in 1996 from Inchbald School of Design with a diploma in Interior Design, but later took art courses and worked under the tutelage of Layla Moussa, owner of Layla Moussa Design based in Jeddah.
It all started as I traveled around the beaches of the world collecting shells. After many years of collecting, I wanted to compose the shells and corals artistically, so I began experimenting. — Lina Qummosani
She was inspired to take on her coral work seriously after watching workers use concrete on a house project she was involved in. She explains, “Without realizing, I started using the raw look of concrete when I covered an entire wall in it and designed partitions out of it. Seeing the result of the concrete around, I thought of testing both materials (coral and concrete) together.”
Qummosani combs beaches looking for corals and shells that would reflect her artistic essence and make beautiful art pieces. “I select the coral then choose one of my many handmade molds. Depending on the size, it may take from ten days to two weeks per item. This is just for the mold. The coral itself takes a minimum of three months to prepare.”
In regards to difficulties she faced, Qummosani says, “Building a mold wasn’t easy for me because I had no clue how to build one or what measurements to should start with. Until I finally created the first two molds as basic ones. From there I started challenging myself to see how creative I could be with the molds.”
Qummosani just commenced with her artistic endeavor and hasn’t displayed her work at any exhibitions yet, but she is looking forward to expose the crowds to her unique collection soon. Until then, she is showcasing her work on Instagram and making it available for purchase by art enthusiasts.
