CAMELS AT RUMAITHA WADI 1983

Rashid Al Khalifa made this painting, Camels at Rumaitha Wadi, using traditional materials like oil paint and canvas. The material qualities of oil paint are really important here. Note how Khalifa uses it to capture the subtle shifts in light across the desert landscape. Oil paint allowed him to blend colors seamlessly, creating the soft, almost hazy atmosphere. You can see his brushstrokes building up the texture of the sand dunes, giving them a tactile presence. Oil paint has a rich history tied to European traditions of landscape painting, but Khalifa uses it to depict a subject that is deeply rooted in his own cultural heritage. By employing these methods, he brings the tradition of fine art into conversation with the cultural values of his native land, Bahrain.