Pakistani painter Rabia Zakir has made history as she became the first woman artist who arranged a solo show in Madinah earlier on International Women’s Day this week. She has made her country proud as she is the first female artist from outside Saudi Arabia to present her work in the holy city of Madinah.
Paintings of Saudi leaders and artwork representing Islamic holy sites are among the works on display. She displayed landscape paintings of Haram, Masjid Nabawi, and many locations in Makkah and Madinah that Muslims visit during their Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. Zakir’s exhibition, which included 27 creative paintings, was a huge success, with famous personalities, painters, and intellectuals attending and praising her work.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform initiatives for supporting arts and culture in Saudi Arabia have been praised by Rabia. According to Rabia, the arts and culture sector in Saudi Arabia has seen a significant change as a result of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030. Furthermore, her solo performance in the Kingdom, which she termed as a faith journey, was a sign of changing times.
In addition, Rabia’s paintings of Arab leaders, including the Saudi crown prince and members of the royal families of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are well-known in diplomatic circles. Her paintings and landscapes may be seen at 50 embassies around Pakistan, most of which are of Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman.
Moreover, the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts contacted the artist about six months ago after officials recognized her work on social media. They promised to highlight her work to the Saudi public by staging a solo exhibition. She disclosed that the art show was a Saudi initiative and that the Pakistani government was not engaged. The Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts has also given Rabia an award for reinforcing Pak-Saudi ties, and they will be hosting a training program for young Saudi artists.