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Saudi photographer Waleed Al-Marhoum not only has a unique eye for detail but also sees things differently. While you might see an elephant in one of his photographs, he would see a portrait of a sad person.
“If I see something with my eye, it is difficult to make another person see the exact same thing,” he says.
Al-Marhoum’s first solo exhibition ‘Visual Sensations’ featured a series of his prominent landscape photographs at the Empty Quarter Galley in Jeddah. “Through this exhibition, I want my audience to appreciate the creator. God gave us all this beauty not just to look at but to remind us how to treat and respect nature.”
Saudi Princess Reem Al-Faisal, who is the owner of the Empty Quarter Gallery in Jeddah and Dubai, is also a fan of Al-Marhoum’s work. “I admire his work and that is why I am exhibiting it at my gallery. I think he is one of the most proficient Saudi photographers in the field today and I like his work a lot.”
Al-Marhoum’s inspiration for the series came from “pure beauty of the nature,” as he puts it. “The nature is very wide in terms of the beauty. There is beauty in the sand, in a rock and a tree. Each image I take has a different feeling, a different title and a different point of view.”
The Saudi photographer does calligraphy during his leisure, which is more like a hobby to him. “I haven’t reached an expert level in calligraphy but I am trying,” says Al-Marhoum.
When asked about displaying his calligraphy, he says “If I reach an expert level in calligraphy, then why not. But for now, I’m still in the process of perfecting it. I think the calligraphic talent affects what I’m doing in photography because calligraphy is art too and it is because of this experience I was able to become a good photographer.”
Finding his photographic talent was a coincidence, says Al-Marhoum. “It happened once when I was showing a friend of mine the calligraphy work I do. It was then he suggested that I do photography. I liked the idea and since that day I tried my hand in photography and surprisingly I was good at it.”
Starting his photographic career in 2013, after quitting his job as a banker, Al-Marhoum did a lot of self-study in the field. “I experimented shooting on several occasions. I learnt a lot by mostly watching YouTube videos and how to’s. Little by little I got to shooting better pictures.”
“I educate myself to taking better pictures by asking the experts, watching a lot of documentaries on photography and reading several articles to help me perfect my photography skills. In the end the outcome will be my work,” says Al-Marhoum.
Despite the several photographic options to choose from, Al-Marhoum’s eye caught landscape. “I describe myself as a fine art photographer. Maybe because during my early ages, I used to do calligraphy and calligraphy has a lot to do with art. I found that nature has a lot of art than commercial photography. So, I prefer doing fine art photography rather than commercial.”
Participating in over 15 exhibitions in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai and Kuwait, Al-Marhoum has made photography his profession. “Although this is my first solo exhibition in Jeddah, I’ve had three solo exhibitions in Riyadh and the rest of the 15 exhibitions I’ve participated in were joint ones in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai and Kuwait.”
Hinting about his next project, Al-Marhoum explains that the idea will portray the four seasons by picking the right and best country for each season.
In a country where the art industry is mostly shy, Al-Marhoum says, “You really have to be that good to make an impression in this country. It’s all about doing art in a good way, especially by respecting our culture and not about harming anyone. Then you will be accepted.”
Al-Marhoum believes that each artist has a dream of expanding his artwork, his idea and ability. “My advice to young Saudi photographers would be to look for your passion and do it from now because you don’t know how you will be after three years.”
Being the first Saudi photographer to exhibit in Princess Reem’s gallery The Empty Quarter in Jeddah and Dubai, Al-Marhoum feels honored. “She is a big influence to many Saudi photographers like me. She was one of my main inspirations. We are learning from her because she has so much passion in her work. For this exhibition, I would like to thank Princess Reem for her trust and confidence in me and my artwork.”
Present during the ‘Visual Sensations’ exhibition were the US, Italian, German and French consuls general.
“I remember a comment from the US consul general when he saw one of the landscapes; he said it reminded him of his country. Because some of the landscapes in ��������Ƶ and America are quite similar, for example, the Thuwaiq mountains in Riyadh are similar to the mountains in Utah. Madain Saleh reminded him of the Grand Canyon. He seemed very happy to be at this exhibition,” says Al-Marhoum.
“I like it when people spend a minute or two at my photographs trying to observe the details in each picture. I’m glad I saw it at the exhibition.”
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