Decorative Arts of Saudi Cultural Heritage - Research Proposal Example

Decorative Arts of Saudi Cultural Heritage 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background information Saudi Arabia has a rich history in cultural heritage encompassing both interior design and decorative arts. The people’s creativity is deeply rooted in Saudi’s ability to manage and coordinate interior design as well as decorations of rooms and buildings. The traditional heritage of one province is unique from that of another province. The variation of cultural heritage among Saudi provinces is as a result of cultural differences among social lives practiced in each province. Historically, interior design and decorative arts among Saudi people developed from their traditional lifestyles and complex setting from one province to another. The need for effectiveness in planning, space utilization as well as functional architectural design promoted the advancements of interior design. For instance, Majilis paintings have represented an aspect of interior design practiced by Saudi people from Asir province. The decorative arts embraced by interior designers of both residential and commercial specialties reveal the connection between the historic nomadic life and the art of interior design practiced by Saudi Arabians. There are two outstanding significances of the art of interior design among the people of Saudi Arabia and especially the Majilis of Asir province. As mentioned earlier, art was a very effective way of expressing a community’s lifestyle. The Majilis who were nomads, expressed their way of living through the art of interior design and presented a great way to connect among themselves and give them an identity. The second significance of art among the Majilis of Asir province is that it was a great way of passing on their culture and traditions form one generation to another. All through the earlier centuries, the Majilis had built a heritage that incorporated their customs and values that united them together as a people. Each province in historic Saudi Arabia had its own form of art that was highly distinguishable from that of a different province. Basing on the quality of the paintings and interior design, one could tell how wealthy a family or a community was. It was a great way of giving identity to a community. In the present days, traditional art is at a risk of fading away as it lacks acceptance and much needed appreciation among the present day and contemporary artist. This is especially so in the art of interior design. The art of interior design is a practice that dates back in the early history period and has been carried forward by artists to the recent historic period. Although the practice was initially practiced by nomadic tribes of Saudi Arabians, the present contemporary artists have been actively engaged in displaying their creativity in interior design and decoration in galleries as well as international exhibitions (Ching 2012). This research proposal looks at the art of interior design and decorative arts of Saudi cultural heritage and it uses the art of interior design among the Majilis of Asir province in Saudi Arabia as one of the aspects. 1.2 Aim The main aim of this research proposal is to identify various aspects of interior design and decorative arts of Saudi cultural heritage. 1.3 Objectives To identify aspects of interior design and decorative arts practiced by Saudi people. To find out historic evidence concerning the practice of interior design and decorative arts practiced by Saudi people. To find out various areas that use interior design and decorative arts of Saudi Arabians. To identify Saudi Government’s strategy of conserving interior design and decorative arts 1.4 Research questions Did Saudi Arabians practice interior design and decorative arts? Are there historic evidence that explain development of interior design and decorative arts among Saudi people? Are there specific areas/groups that have embraced interior design and decorative arts of Saudi Cultural heritage? Have the government of Saudi Arabia taken any steps aimed at conserving interior design and decorative arts of Saudi cultural heritage? 2.0 Literature review There are various literatures detailing historic information concerning development and growth of interior design and decorative arts of Saudi cultural heritage. The evidence has been documented and preserved in the national archives and museums. The role of conserving cultural heritage of the Saudi people has been given to the ministry in charge of culture. Concerning architectural design and decoration artworks, Saudi people have observed their traditional heritage artworks by decorating their houses as well as the use of appropriate interior design techniques. Building designs and decorations, of Saudi people, vary from one province to another. Therefore, Saudi Arabians have embraced different forms of interior design and decorative arts. An example of interior design and decorative arts is wall paintings known as Majilis paintings. Majilis paintings are mostly practiced by Saudi people from Asir province and the art involves geometrical designs that embrace different colours. Historically, Majilis paintings revealed the pride of Saudi women in the house. The main reason being that interior walls of houses, staircases, doors and furniture in Saudi were painted by women. Basically, women were responsible for the beauty and aesthetics of their homes. Those women who were not able to do the artwork, they would exchange some of their possessions for paintings. Majilis paintings and artwork was characteristically colourful which is different from the recent and contemporary ones. The interior design artworks were majorly done by hand and thus the paintings were very expressive. According to Embaby, these designs were adapted from weaving and textile industry of early Saudi Arabians. In other instances, the paintings and wall paintings ignited competition among the women painters. The result of the competition was development of more and better designs with enhance geometrical accuracy. The interior designs included wall paintings that had designs made using different colours. Being one of the most valued traditional heritages, the art of interior design and decorative art has been strengthened through the government ministry in charge of both information and culture. According to Asojo, there still exists some evidence of Majilis artwork in the present day. According to him, much of the modern day architecture designs and principles were borrowed from traditional and historic artwork. Interior decorations from the past have been preserved in museums and they serve to remind the present day population of their cultural heritage as well as attract tourists and scholars. These preservation efforts have been spearheaded by government. There has been another influence of the cultural artwork on women. Since the art was basically performed by women, it has empowered them to the extent of obtaining a controlling stake in the industry of interior design in Saudi. This is evidenced by the existence of women who were very famous because of their artworks among the people of Asir Province (Asojo 2015). 3.0 Methodology 3.1 Identifying the Aspects of Interior Design and Decorative Arts This research proposal will adopt a theoretical approach identifying the aspects of interior design and descriptive arts of the Saudi culture. Several aspects of this art work that are outstanding are that it was expressive of the community’s lifestyle, it was majorly practiced by women and that it was influenced by the art of textile and weaving in that it was geometrical. Observations of the existing artworks will be done so as to ascertain the geometrical accuracy that was involved in the design. Observations will also reveal the traditional lifestyle of the people of Asir province. Due to the very expressive nature of the artwork, it will be possible to determine that the People of Asir were nomads and most of the decorative paintings done on the walls of their houses were semi-permanent. Interviews will be conducted with some of the famous painters of Majilis artwork. Information from the interviews will give insights into how the culture has had influence on the development of women in Saudi especially in the field of modern day architecture and interior design. 3.2 Evidence of Historical Interior Design among the Saudis In order to identify the different aspects of Saudi cultural art, there is need for interaction with the art itself. Since the art was practiced long ago, there are only few traces of the artworks that were done. It will be important to visit the few preserved artworks in the museums that were from the people of Asir province. Literature about decorative artwork of the Asir people will be reviewed so as to get patterns and directions that will lead to any existing evidence. Since the Majilis had an aspect of the lifestyle of Asir province people, their artwork is indicative of the same. Thus, the proposal will look into evidence that gives a connection between the Majilis paintings and interior design works and the nomadic lifestyle of the people. This will be based on the known fact that the people of Asir province were nomads. 3.3 Areas that use Interior Design and Decorative Arts of Saudi Culture As earlier stated, art has had the role of transferring a community’s culture from one generation to the next. This has had a great significance in terms of culture preservation and bringing a connection between generations. In this regard, the proposal will seek to determine how much of the cultural art has been carried forward and incorporated into the modern day decorative arts and interior design in architecture. This will be achieved by making a comparison between the principle aspects of modern day artwork and cultural artwork among the Saudis. A comparison will reveal the similarities and differences that exist between the two ages of artwork. It will also reveal the extent to which cultural artwork has influenced present art especially in architectural aspects of interior design and decorative arts in building and landscaping. The results of the comparison will guide the research on how to identify areas that have greatly used cultural artwork. It is important to note that geometrical aspect of artworks from both ages will be compared so as to establish a common ground between the geometrics produced by hand in the ancient art and those produced by highly sophisticated software used for design work in interior design. 3.4 Government’s Strategy of conserving Interior Design and Decorative Arts According to Mirkia, the government of Saudi Arabia is making efforts to conserve the art heritage of its people as well as promote and support the art industry (Mirkia 2013). In order to achieve this objective, observation method will be used to identify the methods employed by government in its strategy. Attendance to events organized by government will be of great importance. Events are organized to create forums for advancement of art in the country. Interviews to government officials in the concerned ministries will be conducted so as to have a better understanding of the strategic plans by the government. 4.0 Discussion The aspects of interior design and decorative arts among Saudi people developed from their traditional lifestyles and complex setting from one province to another. The need for proper planning and design of spaces in residential places as well as their lifestyle contributed towards the developments. For instance, Majilis paintings in Asir province show wall, doors and staircase paintings in support of interior design and decorative arts. Nowadays, Children get to learn about interior design and decorative art as a cultural heritage at an early age (Embaby 2014). The traditions are deeply rooted in the Islamic teaching, necessitating the trait teaching to children at an early age. After being taken through the training on Saudi traditional heritage, youths are then subjected to competitions on the skills gained, as a way of motivating them to continue practicing the art. Since most tribes of Saudi people were nomads, interior designs and decorations of the Saudi people contains the concept of their early life. The recent governmental effort aimed at preserving cultural heritage of the Saudi people has been promoted through establishment of various cultural conservation institutions. The guidelines on establishment and promotion of Saudi cultural heritage have been spearheaded by the ministry in charge of culture (Mirkia 2013). The ministry has been on the frontline in promoting cultural conservation by offering sponsorship as well as organizing events that provide interior designers and decorative artists with opportunities to showcase their creativity in embracing Saudi’s traditional artworks (Lin 2012). A wide range of cultural activities take place during the events and programs organized by the, ministry in charge of culture. For instance, it is during such workshops that artist and interior designers display and even sell their products to the public. In most cases, the events are held at both the regional offices of the cultural department and its headquarters in Riyadh. Also, successful artists receive sponsorship to participate in the international workshops and competitions to display their products concerning artwork and calligraphy. The love of decorative arts among both Saudi people as well as Muslim community has been displayed through interior design and decorations of commercial and residential buildings (Asojo 2015). Important manuscripts have also been decorated so as to inspire the people during prayer and meditation. Also, decorations are having been incorporated on the plates and jewellery. Such influences have also shaped the field of architecture in terms of interior design and decorative arts. It has also resulted in notions and stereotypes in the society. Most Saudis believe that women make the best painters and designers because culturally, it was a woman’s responsibility. A comparison of cultural art and modern day art that is used in architectural design of buildings indicates similarities in geometry. Both arts appreciated the used of symmetry as most designs are symmetrical. The concept of symmetry was hard wired into the mind of any successful designer. Women who were not perfect in artwork would the basics then let the others who have mastery in artwork complete their artwork pieces. This carried forward the present day architecture where standard designs are made and they are left for advancement by experts in architectural and design fields. The culture of interior design and decorative art has also been embraced by Saudi people in architectural areas. The present construction activities being practiced in Saudi borrows most its design and decorative features from the early constructions determined by climatic conditions (Tucker 2015). Although presently the design of houses and buildings in Saudi Arabia are being considered to be a product of creativity among artists and other designers, the basis of the design can be linked back to the historic and nomadic lifestyle of the early Saudi people. The nomadic life of many Saudi people has played a big role in shaping the approach taken by many artists from Saudi Arabia. For instance, many art objects like glass, jewellery, ceramics and carpets are portable and neatly decorated with vines, flowers, calligraphy and geometric ornamentations. Taking a look at the carpet, most of them are made and decorated using skufic script, arabesque patterns as well as complex geometric. The use of artwork on carpets is connected with the strong desire among Saudi people of using decorations on their property. All this was possible because art in itself was expressive. The artists, in this case women in Asir, would express themselves though art. Thus, it was partially influenced by emotions and feelings of women toward their homes or the society at large. Saudi cultural art has also been used in other areas such as in the tourism industry. Tourists go to Saudi to learn and explore their art. Many buildings and especially hotels are built using the cultural designs of Saudi people thus serving as a display of their rich heritage to the tourists. 5.0 Conclusion The Saudi contemporary Art Scene has been vibrant and flourishing in the international arena. The main reasons leading to the success of interior design and decorative art of Saudi is the ability of the artists to hold on and incorporate their cultural heritage in most of the designs. Most of the artists have mastered the art of embracing Islamic artworks in their interior design and decorations. Also, the success has been brought about by Islamic interior designers and decorators’ ability to rekindle old artworks when decorating mosques and other buildings. 6.0 References Asojo, A. O. 2015, Testing a Culture-Based Design Pedagogy: A Case Study. The Handbook of Interior Design, 432. Ching, F. D., & Binggeli, C. 2012, Interior design illustrated. John Wiley & Sons. Goodwin, C., Cowan, D. J., Frank, M. A., & Mclaughlin, E. A. 2012, Strategic planning methodology within architectural and interior design technology programs. American Society for Engineering Education. American Society for Engineering Education. Embaby, M. E. 2014, Heritage conservation and architectural education: An educational methodology for design studios. HBRC Journal, 10(3), 339-350. Lin, S., Changjun, F., Yujiang, L., & Junliang, Z. 2014, Conception and Practice of Characteristic Interior Decoration: New Library of Xi'an Shiyou University as Example. Furniture & Interior Design, 10, 007. Dwidar, S. I., & Farah, D. S. 2012, Curriculum design and development for interior design: An applied study on interior design program at Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia. In Education and e-Learning Innovations (ICEELI), 2012 International Conference on (pp. 1-7). IEEE. Merrell, P., Schkufza, E., Li, Z., Agrawala, M., & Koltun, V. 2011, Interactive furniture layout using interior design guidelines. ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG), 30(4), 87. Mirkia, H., Sangari, A., Nelson, M., & Assadi, A. H. 2013, Quantifying patterns of dynamics in eye movement to measure goodness in organization of design elements in interior architecture. In IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging (pp. 86511D-86511D). International Society for Optics and Photonics. Tucker, L. 2015 The Relationship between Historic Preservation and Sustainability in Interior Design. The Handbook of Interior Design, 382. Xue, S., & Ming, S. 2012, The Principle of Application and Practical Significance of Traditional Chinese Color System in Modern Interior Design. Journal of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, 4, 037. Read More