JEDDAH, 28 May — Saudi artist Ali Al-Ghanem’s three-day painting exhibition will be opened today at the Sunrise tourist resort here.  Prince Faisal ibn Abdul Majeed will open the festivities, featuring a traditional Saudi Ardha dance to be performed by a Najdi folklore troupe.

Speaking to Arab News, Al-Ghanem said 10 prominent businessmen would be honored at the function for their support toward Saudi art. Al-Ghanem will display 50 of his works painted during the past four years, reflecting heritage, natural scenes and portraits of prominent personalities in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries.

He said he was fond of painting scenes of Saudi environment and society, adding that he considered the Saudi environment a major source and inspiration for his works. “An artist is considered the mirror of his country,” Al-Ghanem said and emphasized the importance of focusing on local themes to win international fame.

He also believed that imitation of other artists, in most cases, will be at the expense of one’s identity. He said he started painting when he was a teenager in Zulfi where he was born and brought up. He loved the desert, its scenes and other local features.

This is Al-Ghanem’s fifth exhibition. He had taken part in “The Kingdom: Yesterday and Today” exhibition that was held in Germany in the early nineties. His paintings received accolades from the visitors who were impressed by the way they reflected the Saudi society and environment.