![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mayasa-alsowaidi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/please_use_but_not_as_main_image_bar_code_by_mayasa_al_sowaidi-300x297.jpeg\")
\u201cBar Code\u201d is by Mayasa Al-Sowaidi. (Supplied)<\/p><\/div>\n
Al-Sowaidi has continued to develop her barcode theme through a range of media including video as she addresses issues related to dehumanization. She told Arab News how inspired she had been by \u201cThe 25th Hour,\u201d a 1949 novel by Romanian author Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu that depicts the plight of a young Romanian farmhand, Johann Moritz, under German, Soviet and American occupation of Central Europe.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoved from prison to prison, he ends up losing his identity. He is known not by his name but merely by a number,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
She believes that pigeon-holing people based on their appearance is a common but very damaging trait.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wear a hijab and I often feel that people judge me by the way I dress,\u201d Al-Sowaidi said. \u201cPeople also make assumptions based on where people come from or how they talk. Everyone has their own identity and you need to take time to get to know them. We have to learn acceptance and respect for the difference of others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Al-Sowaidi is a professor at the University of Bahrain, where she teaches Management and Organizational Behavior in the business school. Prior to joining the university she worked for the Central Bank of Bahrain. As a student she majored in mathematics and computer science. Her family did not approve of her interest in art, fearing it would be a distraction from her studies and career.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis attitude, in fact, made me work harder to try and find myself as an artist,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mayasa-alsowaidi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the_identity_mayasa_al_sowaidi-300x197.jpg\")
\u201cThe Identity\u201d is by Mayasa Al Sowaidi. (Supplied)<\/p><\/div>\n
She recalled how nervous she felt when she first showed her work in an exhibition organized by the university.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t have the courage to stand beside my artwork. I just observed from a distance and I noticed that people were taking a real interest,\u201d she said. \u201cI thought to myself, \u2018My paintings have more courage than me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Al-Sowaidi said she is currently focusing on collage, as illustrated by \u201cThe Identity,\u201d a piece she contributed to Caravan\u2019s virtual exhibition \u201cTo Heal the World,\u201d which runs until August 18.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to explore using new materials. I have a container full of all kinds of papers including news clippings and train, or flight, tickets I have collected on my travels. Incorporating these into my artwork is my way of making it representative of the global situation. I just pick out a piece randomly. Working with collage is like solving a puzzle \u2014 it\u2019s not something you plan,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Her love of art has opened many doors outside of her academic specialization. For instance, she is involved in delivering the newly introduced Art & Heritage program at the university.<\/p>\n
\u201cArt has given me opportunities to meet many different kinds of interesting people. I love artists \u2014 their way of thinking. I think the main element that you need to succeed is passion. Art is my way of expressing my feelings and thoughts and learning more about myself. It is like a need,\u201d she said. \u201cI have met artists from all over the world. I realize we are all trying to understand ourselves and our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n