RIYADH: Over the past two months, a collection of black-and-white photographs taken by Princess Reem Mohammed Al-Faisal, granddaughter of the late King Faisal, has been on display at Riyadh’s L’Art Pur Foundation.  

“States of Light,” according to a press release “explores the intersection of existence, reality and the Divine.” Through her lens, Princess Reem masterfully captures the interplay between light and shadow, transforming simple moments into meditative and poetic reflections on life, spirituality, and human connection. The exhibition, curated by Christiane Ashkar and Mohammed Al Shammaery, runs until Jan. 30. 

The show invites visitors on an evocative journey beginning in Jeddah at the Islamic Port — Saudi Arabia’s maritime gateway to its sacred sites — and moving through Makkah and Madinah to key locations such as Mina, Mount Arafat, Muzdalifah, the Jamarat, and the Grand Mosque. These photographs not only capture the physical spaces but also convey the atmosphere at these holy sites, allowing viewers to reflect on the sacred in the everyday. 

Art critic Laetitia Guillemin describes Princess Reem’s imagery like this: “A muffled sound, an outspoken whisper: in each image, half-lights tell a story, carrying away the voices of inner silence.”  

Guillemin highlights the way Princess Reem uses light to evoke emotions and inner thoughts, revealing moments of stillness and contemplation through the simplicity of black-and-white photography. In her work, the half-light is not just a technical feature but a symbolic element that invites the viewer into a deeper space of meditation. 

“In our modern culture, we have been trained to focus upon the physical, although we see through our mind, will, and emotion. There is a spiritual dimension that is expressed through beauty and creativity. This is what I try to achieve for myself through my work,” Princess Reem has previously said. Her photography is not just about capturing an image, but about translating the unseen. “Art without spirituality is not art; it is decoration,” Princess Reem says. “The essence of life, of the human being, is spiritual.  

She describes Arabic poetry and “the rich imagery it contains” as her greatest inspiration. “Photography is a modern form of poetry, and I use it to condense complex philosophical ideas into a single image,” she says.  

“States of Light” features images from her international travels — including China, Egypt, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Syria, and the United States — but it is in her depiction of the pilgrimage sites in Makkah and Madinah where the depth of her spiritual engagement is most evident. Her photographs convey not just the architectural grandeur of these locations but their profound spirituality. Through the careful manipulation of light, Princess Reem captures meditative moments of prayer and contemplation, where time seems to stand still. 

Princess Reem’s exhibition is not just a collection of photographs; it is a meditation on the eternal, a dialogue between the material and the spiritual, and a reflection of her deep-rooted connection to her cultural and spiritual heritage. As her photographs explore the divine in the everyday, they invite viewers to contemplate their own relationship with the eternal and the unseen. The absence of color invites the viewer to focus on the essence of the scene, devoid of distractions. “Black-and-white is metaphysical. It gives you the metaphysical side of art,” says Princess Reem. “People can get distracted by color and forget about the image itself, but a black-and-white photograph forces people to focus.”  

And in an era dominated by digital photography, Princess Reem remains committed to using traditional film. “99 percent of my work is on film,” she says. “The depth, the rendition of the shades, the textures… all of this is far more superior in film.”  

Despite her passion for black-and-white imagery, Princess Reem says she is currently working on a new series of color images.  

“I’ve been going around photographing Saudi Arabia in color. It will be my new focus. Currently, it’s just Saudi Arabia, but maybe other countries in the future. What I find fascinating is that color photography changes my perspective,” she says. “In black and white, my focus was on shades, shadows, and light. But (now), the color itself becomes the subject. It’s fascinating, and it’s beautiful. This shift has completely changed my approach to photography.” 

Whether photographing in black and white or in color, however, Princess Reem stresses that, first and foremost, her focus is on creating work that expresses something meaningful, not on creating something that will sell. A true artist, she emphasizes, should not be motivated by money, but by a deeper calling.  

“If my work doesn’t cost $10,000 a piece, then (people say) my work has no value,” she says. “But the concept that art is (just) a career is totally wrong.” 

DUBAI: Netflix has just dropped the trailer for “The Sand Castle,” a highly anticipated mystery thriller starring Lebanese multi-hyphenate Nadine Labaki, set to drop on the streaming platform on Jan. 24.

US Emmy-nominated director Matty Brown — whose shorts have won accolades — makes his feature film debut with “The Sand Castle.”

The film, which premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2024, revolves around a family of four stranded on an island. The mother of the family, Yasmine, played by Labaki, is on the lookout for signs of a boat so that the family can escape the island. The father, Nabil, portrayed by Palestinian actor Ziad Bakri (“Meet the Barbarians”), tries to radio for help. The couple’s two children, Adam and Jana, are depicted by Labaki-directed “Capernaum” stars Zain and Riman Al-Rafeea.

“As events spiral out of control and the line between reality and fiction blurs, the family is forced to confront harsh truths and difficult choices, testing their resilience and their hopes of making it back home,” reads the official synopsis.

Brown co-wrote “Sand Castle” with Jordan’s Yassmina Karajah and Egyptian-Qatari writer-director Hend Fakhroo.

Meanwhile, Labaki had a busy 2024, serving as a jury member at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, alongside jury president Greta Gerwig.

Labaki, recipient of the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for “Capernaum,” shares a long history with the festival.

She began her relationship with Cannes in 2004, writing and developing her first feature, “Caramel,” at the Cinefoundation Residency before showcasing the film at the Director’s Fortnight in 2007. Both of Labaki’s subsequent films — “Where do We Go Now?” in 2011 and “Capernaum” in 2018 — debuted at the festival, each in increasingly competitive categories.

“I feel like I’m their baby, in a way. With a baby, you start watching their first steps, see them grow, protect them, push them … They’ve accompanied me in this journey and recognized and encouraged me. It’s great — I really love this festival. I think it’s the best festival in the world,” Labaki told Arab News in an earlier interview on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.