Art of Kuwait


The Kuwaiti modern art movement emerged in the 1930s. Kuwait is home to more than 30 art galleries. In recent years, Kuwait's contemporary art scene has boomed. Kuwait has the second most lively gallery scene in the Gulf.

History

Kuwait has the oldest modern arts movement in the Arabian Peninsula. Beginning in 1936, Kuwait was the first Gulf country to grant scholarships in the arts. The Kuwaiti artist Mojeb al-Dousari was the earliest recognized visual artist in the Gulf region. He is regarded as the founder of portrait art in the region. In 1943, al-Dousari launched Kuwait's first art gallery.
The Sultan Gallery was the first professional Arab art gallery in the Gulf. Khalifa Al-Qattan was the first Kuwaiti artist to hold a solo artist exhibition in Kuwait. He founded a new art theory in the early 1960s known as "circulism". Other notable Kuwaiti artists include Sami Mohammad, Thuraya Al-Baqsami and Suzan Bushnaq.

Art galleries

List of art galleries in Kuwait: