Artspace helps find your creative voice
‘Art is magic ... art heals’
the cosy in-house kitchen. Mayyar, a young Kuwaiti woman, was at a workspace nearby learning how to paint.
Portraits
Mayyar wants to give her husband a special gift on their anniversary. She wants to gift her husband a painting made by her, and so she has opted for a customised course that will teach her portraits and painting.
The first impression of Artspace is positivity. Unlike formal, stiff, retrained commercial spaces that showcase and sells art, Artspace is warm, lived in, emotional, down to earth and completely unforbidden. In the tiny garden outside the front door, cats can be found sunning themselves or making mischief. There are cushions on the grass with makeshift tables for those who want to work outside. Inside, the space is a riot of colour, shapes, and textures, with people poring over their work either alone or under the supervision of an experienced instructor. A popular Bollywood remix plays in the background upping the happy spirit of the two-storied buildings. Happy souls troop in and out waving a cheery ‘hello’. There are stacks and stacks of canvas in every conceivable space, lively decor and incessant chirping of birds, the aroma of brewed organic coffee from the small kitchen, and stunning art – what else would one need to de-stress from the burden of mundane existence?
Together, Sarah and Soos, two creative souls, have built a creative atmosphere where inspiration, professional and personal development and opportunities are all under one roof.
Philosophy
They try to ensure that Artspace and all its activities embody the philosophy that art has the power to make you feel good. Theirs is a vision that explores art and its ability to promote wellness and thus their organisation has a social purpose – to improve the quality of life of its community through workshops, courses, drop-in sessions for individuals of different age groups and abilities. And all their activities are geared towards helping their members make something, paint something, plant something and share something using different media.
Sarah Chouhari began painting at a young age. At eight, she showed her work in her first public exhibition. “I was horrible at school; I did not do well at all. All I wanted to do is art,” she smiled. Sarah graduated in Fine Arts with a minor in graphic designing, a concession to the economics of daily living. “I needed it for a living. After all, art cannot feed you, or so we were told in the past,” she says. Post marriage, Sarah tried her hand at baking and cake decoration by painting on wedding cakes until she came back to Kuwait.
Artspace rescued her at a difficult juncture in her life. Art helped her heal, and she tried to harness this therapeutic effect of art while creating Artspace. “Through art, we learn to embrace the broken parts of us, the flawed aspects, the shadow selves,” she admits when asked about Artspace and its connection to art therapy. “By evolving without resistance, catharsis comes of its own accord. Therapy is the domain of the therapist. At Artspace, we are not doctors, nor are we cured to the point where we can guide others. But, we do know that honouring the artist within ourselves sure makes the stars dance brighter!”
Artspace Kuwait has drop-in community art classes, and workshops led by professional artists at reasonable rates that include the cost of supplies. Apart from this, the space also acts as a gallery for students and other professional artists Over the years, Artspace has acquired a reputation of stimulating and encouraging interest in visual arts, encouraging civic development of Fine Arts and crafts and strengthening interest in the community. When asked how Artspace differs from other creative entities in Kuwait, Sarah answers, “At Artspace, our focus is on mindfulness through
Artspace promotes wellness and mindfulness through creative expression.