Bahraini artist Salah Sayed is bringing the kingdom’s natural landscapes into sharp focus through a striking art series that celebrates its environmental beauty and cultural heritage during a period of rapid development.
The 63-year-old artist from Manama has been sharing his oil paintings, along with videos capturing the process behind their creation, on his Instagram page as part of an ongoing project that sees him travel across Bahrain in search of inspiration from nature.
Through the series, Mr Sayed hopes to document and preserve Bahrain’s unique landscapes and cultural identity, ensuring future generations can see what these places once looked like as the kingdom continues to modernise.
Among the locations featured in his work are Muharraq, Karzakkan, Karranah, Bilad Al Qadeem, Manama and Karbabad.
“The Bahraini identity is something I am most passionate about preserving through my work,” Mr Sayed told the GDN. “I am deeply inspired by the kingdom’s agricultural landscapes, natural scenery and flowing waterways that were once an essential part of daily life.”
Bahrain’s historic waterways played a vital role in shaping the ancient Dilmun civilisation and sustaining communities across the island.
Natural freshwater artesian springs, particularly along the northern coast, allowed lush vegetation to flourish despite the arid climate. Some springs even emerged from beneath the sea floor, earning Bahrain its historic name as the ‘land of the two seas’.
Among the kingdom’s most significant historic waterways are Ain Umm Al Sujur in Diraz, Barbar Sacred Well and Ain Abu Zavdan.
For Mr Sayed, the inspiration behind many of his oil paintings is deeply personal, shaped by vivid childhood memories of a Bahrain that looked vastly different from today.
“As children, we would walk through farms, known locally as ‘dawalib’, from Al Makharqa (a neighbourhood in Manama) to the Segaiya area,” he said.
“There was a flowing water canal stretching along the path. When we arrived at the farms, we spent our time catching small fish from the streams, observing turtles and frogs and even spotting birds such as bulbuls (national bird of Bahrain) among the trees.
“Those landscapes were incredibly vibrant and beautiful.”
Today, Mr Sayed finds himself most inspired by the few places that still echo the Bahrain he remembers from his childhood – old farms, untouched natural spaces and the historic neighbourhoods of Manama.
Yet, many of these places are gradually disappearing as rapid urban expansion continues to shape the kingdom’s landscape.
“Traditional single-storey homes once featured spacious courtyards where children played, with trees and sunlight filling every corner,” he said. “This created a lifestyle that was warm, simple and deeply connected.
“Through my artwork, I strive to preserve the memory of that era.”
Despite his nostalgia for the past, Mr Sayed acknowledged the many benefits modernisation has brought to Bahrain, including major advancements in education and technology.
“Those are valuable achievements,” he said. “However, modernisation should not distance us from our strong family bonds and social connections, which remain central to Bahraini identity.”
Through his art, Mr Sayed hopes to create a balance between honouring the past and embracing the present, while reminding future generations of the importance of protecting Bahrain’s cultural and environmental heritage alongside progress and development.
For more information, check out Mr Sayed’s art on Instagram @salahpaints.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
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