Hajaj Salama

The great artist Safia Binzagr, the pioneer of Saudi plastic art and one of the symbols of the plastic movement in the Arab world and the entire world, has passed away.

Binzagr's achievements during her artistic journey, which continued for decades, contributed to the establishment of a strong plastic movement in the Kingdom and encouraged the emergence of many female artists in the field of Saudi plastic arts.

The late artist Safia Binzagr was born in old Jeddah, where her artistic beginnings were influenced by the history, architecture, and arts of her city. The scent and fragrance of Jeddah remained in her soul even after she left to accompany her family to Cairo for a period.

After years of absence, Binzagr returned to her beloved Jeddah and expressed her love for the city through eye-catching artistic works.

As modernity took hold and people left their heritage architecture homes for modern concrete buildings, the late artist drew inspiration from the historical architecture and modern life in Jeddah. She immortalized her city's history, alleys, and traditions through paintings that bridged past and present, sparking conversation in art circles locally and abroad.

The late artist honed her passion for art by studying world movements, traveling between the Kingdom, Cairo, and London.

Having gained knowledge of global movements, she became one of the founders of the Saudi plastic movement. In 1968, she held her first exhibition in Jeddah at Dar Al-Tarbiyah Al-Hadithah. Despite the lack of dedicated galleries at the time, she successfully prepared a site for her debut.

Binzagr followed up with numerous exhibitions in Riyadh, Dhahran, Yanbu, Abha, and Madinah. She eventually founded the Safia Binzagr Darah, where visitors can view her works, library, and studio, and participate in art workshops for all ages.

Throughout her career, her source of inspiration was the heritage and architecture of Jeddah and Saudi Arabia. Her paintings documented architecture, fishing trips, folk crafts, and marriage rituals. She received dozens of awards, and her works are found in collections in the USA, Lebanon, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Britain, and Saudi Arabia.

In addition to her art, she authored books such as "Saudi Arabia: An Artist's Look at the Past," published in French and English, and "Safia Binzagr: A Three-Decade Journey with Saudi Heritage." Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and the Jeddah Culture and Arts Association mourned her passing, describing her as a pioneer of Saudi plastic art.