Nisma Rafiq

Saudi Gazette

Heba Abdul Aziz Abed Al-Thakafiha , is a Saudi Fine Artist based in Jeddah. She is interested in the concept of Scotoma.



Scotoma is a Greek word of darkness it means an area of partial alteration in the field of vision consisting of a partially diminished or entirely degenerated visual acuity that is surrounded by a field of normal – or relatively well-preserved – vision.



She told Saudi Gazette, “ In my work I explore Scotoma, or the ‘blind spot thinking’, and its potential applications in my society, particularly within subjects that are often overlooked such as incorrect transliteration of Arabic, or the substation of symbols for Arabic phonemes that do not exist in European languages.”



The neglected feminist arguments and rights in the artist’s society occupied a space of her thought and her latest art work, considering that the omission of these issues is a blind spot thinking.



Heba inherited her obsession with arts from her father who is a talented diplomatic ambassador and a successful businessman. However, he never got the time to practice art.



Heba completed her Bachelors and Masters in Fine Arts from KAU, Jeddah, in 2012. “I was a full time artist since 2008. In 2010 I started my master program and I was participating in many exhibitions as well. After I graduated in 2012; I worked as a senior production designer in Jeddah firm and still working there as a visual art manager,“ she said.



Heba uses diversity in her work. She can sketch, shoot, paint, draw and visualize the ideas in her mind. For now, she is concentrating in drawing paintings, mix media including graphic design. Renaissance and the old Islamic manuscript, motifs and the gold ages are her passion. She has been participating in many exhibitions around the world, and has also been a part of Young Saudi Exhibition last year.



“Being part of any exhibition is the most incredibly interesting thing I’ve ever did, and I learned a lot. Sharing personal work to the world is not something easy to do and we can’t learn that at home or in school or college. We have to do it step by step, learn from other artists and curators.”



Heba added, “I can’t tell how many pieces I was proud to share until the exhibition; where I noticed and became more conscious that my work is fragile, or the frame doesn’t match well, or my work arrived broken.” She also secured first position across Saudi Arabia Universities — Fine Arts competition, in the 3rd Scientific Research Conference, 2012, along with many other wins.



“The worst obstacle I faced was the limited participating. It’s hard for an artist not to share the art with the audience,” Heba said. “And life in arts is very hard in many ways. It’s usually financially precarious, so artists have to have more faith and patience.”



Her upcoming projects include Project 1000 in April and Solo in November at Park Hayyat Jeddah. “In upcoming years I am hoping to establish my own little gallery where I can sell my own designed products.”



She wishes the upcoming artists good luck. “I like to tell them that in the world of art, you have to see everyone as a competition, listen to their opinions but don’t react, and sometimes you have to break the rules. Don’t listen to any suggestions, just make your own mistakes, write them down, sketch them up and learn from them.”  — SG