Yemeni artist uses coffee paint to reflect country's identity

Record ID: 1588925

  • Title: Yemeni artist uses coffee paint to reflect country's identity
  • Date: 29th November 2020
  • Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (NOVEMBER 23, 2020) (REUTERS) YEMENI ARTIST, AHLAM NASER, POINTING AT PAINTINGS DISPLAYED ON WALL AND TALKING ABOUT THEM TO VISITORS ARTWORK DISPLAYED ON WALL ARTWORK ON WALL / NASER TALKING TO PEOPLE SAYING (Arabic): "I FELT THAT THE PREVIOUS PAINTINGS DID NOT EXPLAIN MY INNER FEELINGS" VARIOUS OF ARTWORK ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) YEMENI ARTIST, AHLAM NASE
  • Embargoed: 13th December 2020 14:28
  • Keywords: Coffee Drawings Natural art Painting Portraits Sanaa Yemen
  • Location: SANAA, YEMEN
  • City: SANAA, YEMEN
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001D6MDEFP
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: : Inspired by Yemen's rich coffee culture, Yemeni artist, Ahlam Naser, developed her own paint using coffee grounds which she applies on a variety of supports, from traditional canvases to white plates.
    Through her artwork, Naser wants to send a message against war and for peace, while using Yemeni coffee to reflect her country's identity.
    Naser worked as a translator for NGOs before, but with job opportunities becoming scarce in her war-torn country, she started to rely on her art to make a living.
    She had never painted portraits before but started to increasingly do so when people around her expressed interest in buying them.
    Her passion for art dates back to her childhood, Naser said, adding that fine art gives her a lot of freedom.
    Yemen's coffee production dates back to centuries ago and farmers usually select beans by hand before drying them in the sun to produce a unique taste.
    Under the siege, it has become more expensive and there is a lack in petroleum materials used to water the farms and roast the production.
    The United Nations have described Yemen as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 80 percent of its people in need of help as they face an impending famine.
    (Production: Adel Khader, Abdelrahman al-Ansi, Abdelhadi Ramahi, Muath Freij)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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