A number of Kuwaiti artists have initiated their creativity to serve the community and spread values of beauty in the streets through decorating public surfaces such as electrical transformers, bridges, and more, as part of a project sponsored by the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters and the (Mubader) volunteer team.
The aim of the (Third Art) project, which started yesterday and will last for two weeks, is to beautify the Al-Masayel residential area located 20 kilometers southeast of Kuwait City, in preparation to expand the experience to other areas in the future, covering larger spaces and different facilities beyond electric transformers. Mohsen Dashti from the (Mubader) team mentioned that the beginning will be in Al-Masayel, but the idea will be transferred to other regions, noting that an artist has been assigned to each electrical transformer, with the wall space of each transformer being no less than 200 square meters.
Dashti told Reuters that the materials used were provided through personal initiatives and donations from companies and the Al-Masayel cooperative society, in addition to the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters. He praised the spirit of cooperation among the residents, stating, "When you see the colors and see people from different classes, nationalities, and ages coming together for something beautiful, that alone gives you positive energy."
He added, "Art gives you life and a beautiful impression that the world is still good... Art is one of the most important positive factors in a person's life." The project also includes large art pieces to be painted by volunteers, including art teachers from schools in collaboration with children under 14 years old. These paintings will be donated to public institutions in the area, such as the hospital and the cooperative society.
This project coincides with Kuwait's upcoming celebrations of its national holidays on February 25 and 26, as well as the Al-Qurain Cultural Festival, which opened the previous Sunday and continues until February 22. Artist Muhammad Al-Dabbi, who is busy painting on the surface of an electrical transformer, stated that this is his first time painting on a mural, considering it a "beautiful opportunity" to have the space to paint murals.
Al-Dabbi praised the freedom given to artists in choosing the paintings they create, "which has made the project successful," valuing the encouraging feedback he receives from the residents of the area. He noted that this opportunity connects the artist with the community, allowing people to feel and see art as "something tangible... and we want to show the country even more beautiful things."
Artist Razan Al-Sarraf stated that her participation in the initiative aims to create beauty for the community, noting that her painting revolves around Palestine and resistance, represented by a large olive tree. She mentioned that after living abroad for a long time, upon her return to Kuwait, she wanted to be socially active and saw this as an opportunity to contribute something beneficial to the community, affirming that she feels great support from friends and local residents, as well as volunteers from all over Kuwait.
Sally Kamal, a volunteer visual artist involved in the project, stated, "Art is a message that should reach everyone."
