Any visitor to the Kingdom of Bahrain will be struck by the number of art galleries in such a small country no bigger than the Isle of Man. The population is hardly 700,000 and of that only 66% are Bahraini. So out of this very small population there seems to be a disproportionately large number of very accomplished native artists. Ahmed Baqer, one of Bahrain’s leading artists and art historian, suggests that the reason for such an accomplishment is largely due to an education policy founded in the early 1950s on a judicious mix of drawing and craftwork in the schools. But there are also other reasons.

The fact that it is a small island strategically located in the Gulf has also played a major role. To survive and indeed prosper it has had to accommodate to outside influences. This is seen by most Bahrainis as a strength rather than as a weakness, as an opportunity to enrich itself not just in a commercial sense but also on a cultural and intellectual level. To many commentators on the Gulf this pragmatism is in fact a defining Bahraini characteristic. With over 50 years of economic progress and a constant influx of expatriate workers from all parts of the world and more recently of tourists there is a natural confidence and self assurance which can be detected in the creativity and resourcefulness of Bahraini artists.

Competitions, whether sponsored by commercial concerns or government agencies have also contributed to the promotion of the visual arts in Bahrain. Perhaps the most important event in the artistic calendar in Bahrain is the Ministry of Information’s annual art show. It is as much a platform for the gallerie des exclus as it is for the established artists. There is also generous support and encouragement from the big merchant families, amongst whom we may thank Abdulla Buhindi for his enthusiastic support in shouldering the major costs of this exhibition.

Another important element in promoting the visual arts in Bahrain is the artistic associations on the island. The Contemporary Art Association was set up in 1970. Later the Bahrain Arts society was founded in 1983, largely in reaction to its opposition to the artistic ethos of the former. But their differences are now seen as a source of healthy rivalry and creativity.

In the early 80s there was a whole generation of academically trained artists who began to return from the artistic capitals of the Middle East (Cairo, Baghdad) Europe and the USA. Precisely because they brought back with them a wealth of possibilities from the most varied of sources there is no one distinctive style or school. But there are three very broad orientations or strands. One takes as its point of departure the island, its people and its past. Some are strongly committed to their roots and have a very definite sense of location. As Jordanian art critic Wijdan Ali rightly points out, “The Gulf Artist has preserved on canvas his cultural traditions, recording for posterity those practices that may vanish or change with time.” Calligraphy also offers a direct link to the past as well as to the wider Arab and Islamic world. The third strand which some commentators suggest as being the Bahraini artist’s strongest suite is what might be called abstract internationalism. But for the artists who sought to develop in this direction they had to struggle to win over a local following for this kind of art. As Shaikh Rashid, one of the leading Bahraini artists’ and also the Under Secretary for Passports and Immigration, recently remarked, “some years ago abstract art was not considered something that local families would want in their homes but now abstracts are appearing on more and more walls in Bahrain.”

So it is with this spirit of openness that six Bahraini artist would like to give their Irish audience a céad mile fáilte.

© Denis O’Dwyer

Introductory Booklet Notes for An Exhibition of Traditional and Contemporary Bahraini Art, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, November 2005