Despite how young she is, Wudd al-Ghanem, 12, is taking steady steps toward the world of arts; by developing her talents through reading and practicing in an enabling environment both at home and school.
Al-Ghanem was one of 572 children below the age of 12 from 55 different countries who drew 154 World Heritage sites. With her brush, al-Ghanem painted the historic al-Turaif neighborhood in el-Diriyah.
Al-Ghanem said that during her first attempts to paint at the age of 5, her family was very supportive, especially her aunt who has supported her since her very first drawing as a child.
"My family continued to support me and I was persistent in my attempts until I started taking private drawing lessons with tutor Hania Basha; with whom I learned about different painting schools and became a fan of the internationally-acclaimed artist Van Gogh," she noted.
In response to her drawing having been selected and displayed by UNESCO; al-Ghanem said: "I wanted the world to see that this heritage site is in the heart of every citizen. That's why I chose to draw a castle in the heart of my country".
UNESCO displayed the drawings of the participants whose ages ranged between 6 and 12 years. It also published their works on Instagram between 8 April and 17 May.
Saudi Minister of Culture, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, had praised al-Ghanem's participation; tweeting on his official Twitter account:
"Among 572 children younger than the age of 12 years from 55 countries who drew 154 World Heritage sites; champion Wudd al-Ghanem excelled in painting al-Turaif neighborhood in el-Diriyah."
