The Last Skate

This work depicts activists skating one last time at the Kuwait Ice Skating Rink, which was the first of its kind in the Middle East, when it opened to the public in 1978, and was designed by French architect Dominic Bo; it is reminiscent of the Golden Age period in Kuwait. Many Kuwaitis had precious memories there, but, unfortunately, it was demolished shortly after “the last skate” in order to accommodate the third phase of developing the Al Shaheed Park. 

Because of the flat perspective of the miniature style, Al Rashid was able to simultaneously document many architectural elements, such as the rink’s wooden ceiling, its entrance and exit doors, as well as the skaters. Merging reality with historical fantasy, the spotlights were replaced by lanterns, and contemporary characters were mixed with characters from ancient times, creating a rich and fascinating dialogue.

This work is the artist’s favourite, because she felt all the elements were aligned in its making; from the colour palette to the composition and subject matter, she finds it to be one of the most successful pieces from the series. The artwork was widely shared on social media, but a few days later, the Kuwait Skate Rink was abruptly demolished. 

Dimensions:

• Large: 40 x 60 cm 
• Small: 25 x 36 cm