Shaima Ali AlHarthi (b. 1998) is a self-taught artist based in Saudi Arabia. After completing her Bachelor's degree in Accounting, she turned her focus towards creating a series of artworks inspired by ancient drawings.
Having been drawn to Islamic art at an early age, she made the decision to delve deeper into its unique design elements. Throughout her research, she found clear parallels to ancient Indian drawings, particularly with the fact that humans have always had the desire to communicate and tell stories through art. She then came across depictions of playing boards, the main catalyst behind her series presented on Bawa. Ultimately, the vibrant playing surfaces acted as an anchoring subject throughout her works, allowing her to experiment with various artistic techniques through the confines of a consistent theme.
Shaima's medium of choice, Gouache on handmade Indian cotton paper, allows her to capture the essence of these ancient drawings. She intentionally began experimenting with rough papers to challenge herself, knowing that rendering straight lines on such a textured surface could be an obstacle. This deliberate decision has compelled her to embrace the presence of imperfections as unexpected elements within her paintings. Various colorful circles and scattered symbols can be seen in Shaima’s representation of these timeless playing boards. To reflect on the human lessons learned from playing boards, Shaima includes yellow circles to symbolize opportunity and rewards. On the other hand, black circles symbolize setbacks, penalties, or difficult decisions that people may face in their lifetimes. Much like in reality, players must navigate through both light and darkness to achieve success and fulfillment.