ARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016

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Cancer online support group: If you are Cancer patient or family mem-ber fi ghting with this deadly disease, come join our online support group. Best way of dealing with this disease is providing support and share our experience with each other. There are lot of things which even doctors can’t tell so be member of this website and start sharing your experiences which may help others. October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). The primary purpose is to promote self examination and screening mammography as the most effective way to save lives by detecting breast cancer at early stage. For more information visit: http://fi ghtingwithcan-cer.webs.com/

LatestKDA elects offi cials: At the Area General Body meeting of the Kozhikode District Association held in Fahaheel area, the following were elected as of-fi ce bearers and executives for the year 2016–2017. Noufal Bareena (President), Mohammed Haneefa (Vice-President), Noushad K.K. (Secretary), Umesh K.T.K. (Joint Secretary), Jothi N.V. (Treasurer). Also Muneer Markan, Das K.T., Majeed M.K, Mujeeb M, Taha K.V., Sivadas P, Abdul Najeeb T.K., Jeneesh M.C., Santhosh Kumar and Zubair Parakadave were elected from Fahaheel to the Central Executive Com-mittee.

The following were elected offi cials for Mahilavedi: Mrs Febina Mubin (President), Mrs Kamaruneesa K. (Sec-retary), Mrs Haseena (Treasurer). Also Reja Santhosh, Mrs Nuziha Yashiq, Mrs Smith Ravindran, Mrs Sajitha Siva-das, Mrs Raji Jineesh were elected to Mahilavedi as Fahaheel area representa-tives.

At the Area General Body meeting held in Kohinoor Auditorium Fahaheel, Association’s Acting President Jawed Bin Hameed inagurated the meet-ing. Area President Das K.T. presided

By Cinatra FernandesArab Times Staff

KUWAIT CITY, April 18: The line, continuous in its mark and delineat-ing in its movement, has been crucial to the construction of the evocative contours and contemplative curves of art. The AM Art and Design gallery opened a group exhibition on ‘Lines’, Sunday evening, featuring the work of nine artists depicting their individual representations of one of the most fundamental of elements in drawing.

“Before the advent of photography, newspapers and publications used the line drawing for images they wanted to publish, illustrators used simple lines to create images. Today, line drawing is very popular among artists and illustrators, it is simple yet sophisticated, and has a direct effect”, artist and curator Amira Behbehani, told the Arab Times.

Behbehani started contacting art-ists and putting together the show last December. “I was very eager to include architects in this exhibition as lines are primary to their practice. The three architects who are part of the group show, love art and for two of them, it is their first experience of exhibiting their work as art pieces.”

The exhibition presents 33 works by artists and architects. Jamal Al Yousif from Bahrain explores the subject of ‘lines’ using aquatint and chine colle for the creation of various tones and textures. Mahmoud El Maghraby, an Egyptian artist who resides in Kuwait used the technique of etching on zinc for his artworks where as Kuwaiti artist Thuraya Al Baqsami employed the technique of monoprinting. Also featured are Italian architect Alexandra Zambon and Egyptian Artist Waleed Shalaan who reside in Kuwait, as well as British architect Eilidh Middelton and Syrian artists, Mahmood Al Daoud and Tarek Butayhi.

PersuasiveBehbehani holds that any persuasive

exhibition must have strong concepts and a clarity in its message to affect the emotions of and provoke thought for the viewer. “There are a lot of aesthetic elements that factor in to the attractive-ness of a particular exhibition. But I think it is crucial to look for and present something new that could be inspiring to others. Art should always be impact-ful, it should arrest the routine and encourage you to think.”

The line, Behbehani shares, is a very important element, “When you combine it together, you create an image, you create a shape, you create a form, and different strokes convey different meanings. It has meant a lot to me personally, and I have been

working on and exploring this con-cept since I first started which is why I focused on this element.”

Each artwork carries with it an

emotional undercurrent. While Mahmood Al Daood, in his treatise of space and objects, depicts a table that with objects, wrought by sud-den gush of wind that displaces all the objects until only the bare table remains and Waleed Shaalan tunes into the chaotic intersections of our urban landscape. Behbehani’s work emphasizes the women behind the masters - the muses, lovers and wives, while Middleton inspired by the Ara-bian Gulf, depicts aquatic subjects in watercolour with motifs of Islamic art embedded within.

Behbehani shares that while the current artistic climate in Kuwait has improved and the youth are actively engaging in art and theatre, more institutional and governmental support would accelerate the move-ment. In terms of opportunities for the young, she shared that the Ku-waiti art environment could still be dry, noting that there is a great need for art colleges, more educational workshops, and a higher calibre of avenues for young minds to engage with and display art. She advises emerging artists to focus on re-search and developing themselves, “Let the art make you evolve and grow emotionally with it.”

The exhibition will continue until April 26. The AM gallery is located on Mubarak Al Kabeer St, behind the Chamber of Commerce, in Kuwait City.

the meeting and General Secretary Abdul Najeeb T.K. briefed Association activities. Also Area Secretary Noufal Bareena presented Area on the annual report and Treasurer Jineesh presented fi nancial report. Association’s President Jawed Bin Hameed, Secretary Abdul Najeeb T.K, Treasurer Najeeb P.V., Patrons Rajagopalan Edavalath and Hameed Keloth, Mahilavedi Presi-dent Mrs Reja Santhosh, Mahilavedi Area President Mrs Febeena Mubin, Executive Members Haneef C, Shyjith K, Das K.T., Raouf Mashoor, Shaji K.V., Basheer Kulangara, Sidharthan, Sameer Vellayil, Taha K.V., Muneer Marakan, Majeed M.K., Rishi Jacob, Zubai Parakadve, Sajith Das, and Mrs Divya made felicitation speeches. Siraj Eranjikal and Raju S. Kandi were the presiding offi cers for the election. Nou-fal Bareena welcomed all attendees and Jothi expressed the vote of thanks.

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Indian Embassy notice: At the initiative of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, a scheme for Voluntary Certifi cation of Yoga Professionals has been launched by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturuopathy, Unani, Sidha & Homeopathy) to spread the traditional knowledge of India by assuring quality of Yoga Practices across the world. The Ministry of AYUSH in the wake of declaration of International Day of Yoga has identifi ed Quality Council of India (QCI) to develop a scheme for Volun-tary Certifi cation of Yoga Professionals since QCI has expertise in developing such quality based on the best interna-

tional practices.The objective of the scheme is to

certify yoga professionals which will evaluate four levels of competence ie: yoga instructor, yoga teacher, yoga master and yoga acharya. The scheme is being launched by the Ministry of AYUSH and implemented by Quality Council of India. Yoga stands for har-mony & peace. The aim of the scheme is to specify the competence requirements in terms of knowledge and skills to be complied by the Yoga professionals in the form of Competence Standard. It also aims to defi ne the process of evalu-ation and certifi cation in laying down requirements for competence and opera-tion of assessment of bodies through Accredition after creating awareness about the launch of the scheme by the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.

For further details about the scheme please log on to yogacertifi cation.qci.org.in

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Free drum music classes: Free professional drum music classes are available at Salmiya for all age groups from beginners to advanced by a well experienced drum teacher. For more details: 94974295.

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Share your story with Amricani: Do you or any of your family members, acquaintances or friends happen to have a story with the American Missionary

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Art

Series celebrate lives of notable women

AM gallery opens group exhibition on ‘Lines’

9 artists inspire and explore with line drawing

Elizabeth Warren, comic book hero? Senator is latest to starBy Steve LeBlanc

Her parents didn’t hail from the planet Krypton, and she was

never bitten by a radioactive spider, but that hasn’t stopped Elizabeth Warren from starring as a comic book hero.

“Female Force: Elizabeth War-ren” tells the true-life story of War-ren’s rise from Oklahoma schoolgirl to US senator and champion of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

The 22-page comic is the brainchild of Portland, Oregon-based publishers Storm Entertain-ment and is part of a larger series designed to celebrate the lives of notable women. Past subjects include Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Madonna, Sarah Palin,

Condoleezza Rice, Facebook executive Cheryl Sandberg, Nancy Reagan, Tina Fey and Caroline Kennedy.

The most popular comic in the series told Michelle Obama’s life story, and sold about 75,000 copies. There have been about 70 titles in all.

Publisher Darren Davis said he was drawn to Warren’s story be-cause of the role strong women have played in his life.

Ethic“She’s a woman that has it all.

She has the family. She has the career. She has a strong work ethic,” he said. “We thought she had a re-ally strong story.”

Instead of leaping over tall buildings in tights and a cape, or battling mad jokers and villainous

penguins, Warren’s political super-powers are focused on something she sees as even more threatening: the Wall Street and Capitol Hill power brokers she holds respon-sible for hollowing out the middle class.

The bulk of the book steers clear of ideological battles and instead zeroes in on Warren’s personal and professional struggles, from hard-scrabble childhood and young mom to law student, law professor and candidate for Ted Kennedy’s old US Senate seat.

“We really want to showcase these people’s lives and where they came from rather than making some political statement,” he said.

Warren had nothing to do with the book, and learned about it only after publication. She hasn’t commented

publicly commented on her turn as comic book hero.

Matt Reyes, manager of New England Comics, said there’s a niche audience for a biographi-cal comic book that tells Warren’s story, especially in her hometown of Cambridge.

“I have customers who teach poli-tics and ethics across the street” who would be interested in the book, said Reyes, whose store is in Harvard Square opposite the Ivy League campus and its Kennedy School of Government. Warren taught at Harvard Law School.

Specific“It’s a fairly specific audience,”

added Reyes, who said he has spot-ted Warren in the neighborhood. The store is about a mile from War-ren’s home.

Some would just as soon paint Warren as a comic book villain instead of hero.

Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Kirsten Hughes said Warren “would raise taxes faster than a speeding bullet and ... her big government agenda would trample small business with a single bound.”

“A comic book seems like the perfect way to tell the story of a politician so detached from reality,” Hughes said.

Davis — whose other biographi-cal comics range from Donald Trump to Pope Francis — has high hopes for the Warren comic. He said there’s huge interest in the Massa-chusetts Democrat.

“She’s trending better than the pope,” he said. (AP)

Eilider Middleton uses watercolor and bic pen on paper to feature the Arabian -Gulf’s inhabitants.

This undated image shows the cover of a comic book ‘Female Force: Eliz-abeth Warren’ featuring a likeness of Massachusetts Sen Elizabeth War-

ren. (AP)

Amira’s work focuses on the women behind the mastersPhotos by Mohamad MorseMonoprint by Thuraya Al Baqsami

Amira Behbehani (left), on the opening night of the exhibition

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