Saudi Arabian artist Shalimar Sharbatly to transform Jeddah's streets with hand-painted cars

The Draw A Nation initiative will see the artist introduce her 'moving art' concept across the city

Shalimar Sharbatly with one of her hand-painted creations. Via Twitter

Saudi artist Shalimar Sharbatly, whose works of hand-painted sports cars have been shown at events such as the Paris Motor Show and Monaco Grand Prix, will create a new series for Jeddah’s Draw A Nation initiative.

It is not Sharbatly’s first time with the Jeddah municipality project, which seeks to bring public art to the Saudi city’s streets. Last year, she showcased hand-painted vehicles as part of Saudi National Day celebrations for Draw A Nation.

This year, she will unveil a new set of hand-painted vehicles, specifically old and abandoned cars that will be transformed into art pieces in public spaces.

Sharbatly, who started painting at the age of 3, is known for her "moving art" concepts, which are "intended to move art beyond the elitist walls of the gallery", according to her website. She specialises in turning everyday objects, such as cars, into conceptual pieces.

Ayed Al Zahrani, undersecretary for the major of Jeddah, said in a statement, “The community will benefit from recycling cars and turning them into artistic masterpieces displayed in public for Jeddah residents and visitors.”

The Jeddah municipality’s push for more cultural projects include the launch of Yalla Jeddah, an online platform that lists community initiatives that align with the kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Activities include mural drawing projects, garden design, beach cleaning and an option for citizens and residents to report damaged or neglected cars around the city.

Last month, the annual 21,39 Jeddah Arts exhibition, which showcases local and international artists alike was postponed due to changes in Covid-19 regulations.

This year, the show, curated by French academic Fabien Danesi derived its title Secrets of Alidades from pointers found on astrolabes. At the time of writing, no new date has been announced for the exhibition.