Art through self-expression
Manama : Shaima Murad was interested in painting since her childhood. It turned out to be more than just a pastime during middle school when she was introduced to ceramics and glass painting.
Mathematics is her second favourite subject after arts, so she majored in Mathematics at the University of Bahrain. After three years, she enrolled in the art education programme and graduated with a Bachelor in Educational Arts.
She then worked as an art teacher in Ibn Khuldoon National School for three years. Later, she joined Al Dair Preparatory Elementary School as an Art Department Coordinator.
In 2013, she participated with a group of artists in an open gallery, which motivated her to pursue her passion in painting.
Murad is a member of the AlBayader Theatre and specialises in making dolls for puppet theatre for children. She won the Yahya bin Mahmood Al Wasetay Award for Educational Art in 2004 and won the Active Teacher Award at the level of schools in Bahrain in 2011.
She also got an Excellence Award for participating in the annual exhibition programme for the Ministry of Education in 2011 and 2014, and won First Place in Card Design Competition for National Day of Bahrain at the level of schools in Bahrain in 2015.
Joy of teaching arts
Murad opened up about the perks of experiencing and creating art as well as the joy it gives her when she teaches arts.
“Art means self-expression and I don’t want to be stuck with a set of realistic rules.
As Pablo Picasso said, ‘art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life,’ so this is what excites in art: make you live in your fantasy world,” she said.
The unique thing about Murad’s art is that her paintings give two different views: one in the daytime with its beautiful colours, and another one at night under special lights.
In regard to this, she said, “My inspiration comes to me like a flash of lighting in different life situations – not at a specific time or place, but anywhere at any time.”
Expressing her love for teaching art, Murad said, “I love teaching art as it gives my students a chance to express their feelings. It makes me happy when I discover the talents in students and make them confident in their abilities in art.”
A good art teacher is the one who encourages students to practise self-expression, she said, adding that only such teachers can explore the hidden talents of students while gaining a new appreciation of art.
“A good art teacher does not want students to be afraid of failure, but want them to have the tenacity of an inventor,” she added.
Murad concluded with a message for her fellow artists and students. “Live in your imagination and then look to self-expression,” she said, “In art, the ability to think for yourself can not only prepare you for success in your classes, but also in your future life.”
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