RIYADH: Mexican artist Erika Place has been living in Riyadh for 14 years and through her work highlights key elements of Saudi and Mexican culture.
In her pieces created using recycled materials, Place combines key elements of both cultures including Mexican-inspired colors, architecture and major Saudi landmarks such as the Kingdom and Faisaliah towers.
“It is in Saudi Arabia that I got inspired,” Place told Arab News at her recent exhibition “Tiny Homes,” hosted at the Mexican ambassador’s residence in Riyadh.
“I have been here 14 years and I consider this place my home, and I feel at home. I do miss Mexico but I don’t feel that I am not home here,” she said.
Born in Guadalajara, Place moved to Europe at a young age. She always had a passion for art but never realized her talents until later in life when she moved to Saudi Arabia with her husband in 2012.
In the Kingdom Place’s artistic vision was realised, and she began to draw inspiration from the country’s landscapes, architecture and people.
“I made this my home and the experience has been beautiful,” she told Arab News.
Mexico’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Anibal Gomez-Toledo, hosted the exhibition and gave his perspective on Place’s art.
“She is a self-taught artist, and what she has been doing is incredible. After many years of practice and discipline, the outcome is noteworthy,” Gomez-Toledo said.
In her art, Place takes discarded small boxes and turns them into tiny homes and tiny villages, repurposing materials that would have otherwise end up in a landfill.
Place believes that this is her way to help the environment, by reducing waste and giving new purpose to products that can still be useful.
She takes these recycled materials, paints them, and gives them a new life that reflects Saudi landscapes and culture through the bright and vibrant colors of Mexico.
“For me the Mexican touch is the colors. In Mexico, we have colors everywhere, the Mexican touch is putting colors in my paintings,” Place said.
During his remarks, the Gomez-Toledo said: “Generally speaking, after using something, you throw it away and forget about it. However, can you imagine how many tonnes of waste there are worldwide?”
Gomez-Toledo underlined that, according to the World Bank, as of 2020 there were 2.24 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste generated annually and that by 2050, global waste generation is expected to reach 3.4 billion tonnes a year.
“The global production of paper and cardboard waste is over 400 million tonnes annually, paper and cardboard are the materials Erika has used to create tiny homes,” he said.
In her works, Place also depicts scenes of Saudi life, portraying people dressed in traditional thobes and abayas.
Through her art, Place invites visitors to explore the diversity of Saudi Arabia through the tiny cardboard homes she creates.
