The silent suffering of abandoned and stray animals will be brought to life through art at an exhibition opening today in Amwaj.
A total of 18 Bahrain-based creatives will showcase their works at ‘Silent Whimpers…Silent Cries’, which will be staged at the Art Hotel and Resort.
Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry animal health director Dr Fajer Alsalloom and local animal production director Dr Abbas Al Hayki will attend the opening, alongside veterinarians, animal behaviourists and rescue operators, who will deliver educational talks on the sidelines of the event. A live art session will also be held.
Curated by Indian expatriate Sudeep Deshpande and Bahraini talent Zainab Al Halwachi, the exhibition focuses on the pressing issue of pet abandonment, which animal charities and rescue groups in Bahrain say has risen sharply this year. The surge has been largely attributed to residents leaving the country at short notice following the regional conflict.
“My paintings, A Life of Love and Left to Survive, tell the story of two very different realities experienced by cats,” Ms Al Halwachi told the GDN.
“The first portrays a cat dressed in regal clothing, representing a life of comfort as it receives love, food, shelter and care. The second depicts a cat in old, worn-out clothing, reflecting the plight of strays abandoned by their owners and suddenly left to fend for themselves on the streets,” added the 43-year-old art educator from Jeblat Hibshi.
Co-curator Mr Deshpande from Adliya will exhibit two pieces that depart from his usual themes.
“One of the paintings is a deeply personal expression of my family, portraying my wife surrounded by our beloved feline companions, who are as much our children as they are our pets,” he said.
“The composition is deliberately stylised with expressive forms, defined outlines and a playful interplay of proportions that lend the painting a character of its own. The interplay between the vibrant figures and the more subdued background reflects how our loved ones bring colour, meaning and warmth into our lives,” explained the 46-year-old architect and pet parent, who has rescued 30 cats in Bahrain with his wife Snighda.
“Sometimes, the loudest cries are the ones we never hear. Through art, we hope to give those cries a voice.”
Broadening the exhibition’s focus is Bahraini artist Thamer Al Reefy, whose piece, The Swans’ Return – A Journey of Hope, explores the impact of human interference on nature.
“For centuries, the Mesopotamian Marshes of southern Iraq have provided refuge to migratory birds escaping the harsh northern winters. Sadly, war and human destruction drained these ancient wetlands, disrupting nature’s delicate balance and threatening the birds that depended on them,” said the 69-year-old retired IT professional, who nevertheless remains hopeful for change.
Mr Al Reefy commended the organisers for using art to draw attention to the plight of animals and encourage greater empathy towards them.
Taking this idea of empathy a step further is Indian artist Sriparna Ghose, who uses anthropomorphism to portray the struggles of strays.
“I have approached the subject through anthropomorphism depicting the thought ‘What if this were us’. As humans, we often do not directly relate to their emotions. For many of us, they are just animals. The exhibition helps us empathise with them,” she said.
Ms Ghose poses a thought-provoking question through her work: If our existence, safety and survival depended on the fleeting compassion of a creature superior to us, would we understand their fear?
‘Silent Whimpers…Silent Cries’ will run until October 24.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
PANEL
The participating artists are:
1.Sudeep Deshpande
2.Zainab Al Halwachi
3.Atamjeet Singh Bawa
4.Bhavana Singh
5.Dalal Al Banna
6.Hanan Al Asfoor
7.Issa Al Nuaimi
8.Nitasha Biju
9.Shruthi Ranjith
10.Mohammed A Karim
11.Sriparna Ghose
12.Mohamed Taha
13.Thamer Al Reefy
14.Vaishnavi Biju
15.Bader Al Ali
16.Yousif Al Dorzi
17.Hasan Al Asfoor
18.Mayada Al Taqi
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