She said that the photographers had kept their hobby a secret for a long time and were now thrilled at having the chance to exhibit. “The situation of the wider migrant community and the kafala system are obviously not the best bases on which to foster talent and creativity. But things are clearly improving, praise Allah, allowing all communities in Saudi to have a platform to express themselves.”
“Until now the Filipino artistic community was not entrenched within the formal Saudi arts and culture scene, but this is changing. We’re terribly excited that the general public has started to embrace and support exhibitions by artists from other minority groups. Kakaibang Jeddah! is therefore a testament to the diversity and cultural awareness slowly emerging in Jeddah.”
Rodolfo, an electrical engineer at a private company and one of the photographers, said there were many challenges when he first started out.