Leena Al Ayoobi

Leena Al Ayoobi (born 26 March 1981) is a Bahraini self-taught artist, founder of the Dar Alfann Gallery. She is widely recognized for her feminist art pieces, which combine the Japanese Manga art style with Arabic folklore. Al Ayoobi's brilliant and colorful, strongly textured paintings have received acclaim as a depiction of modern women in conventional society.
Throughout her career, Al Ayoobi has collaborated with several prolific brands including Starbucks, Mont Blanc, GE Aviation, CFM, and the Standard Chartered Bank. Her work has been displayed throughout the Middle East, and she is widely regarded as a leading figure in contemporary world art.
==Early life and education==
Al Ayoobi was born on 26 March 1981 in Manama. She began drawing when she was three years old and soon took a liking to Japanese Anime and works of the director Hayao Miyazaki. Later, upon graduating from high school, she enrolled in the University of Bahrain, from where she acquired a diploma in Business Management.
In 2015, Al Ayoobi attended a Painting and Drawing Workshop by Accademia Riaci in Florence, Italy. In 2017, she pursued a diploma in History of Art at the London Art College, and soon after its completion, Al Ayoobi applied for another diploma in Watercolor Painting.
==Career==
Prior to becoming a full-time artist, Al Ayoobi worked at global consultancy firms as an investment analyst at Ernst & Young for nine years and at BDO for five.
It was not until 2014 that Al Ayoobi began displaying her art pieces on a larger scale. Her first exhibition took place in Bahrain's Art Market called­ Bab Al Bahrain, which was hosted by Sheikha Mai Al Khalifa from the Ministry of Culture. Soon, Al Ayoobi became a full-time artist, concentrating on expressing her feminist perspective through her vibrant and highly demonstrative pieces. Her first solo exhibition was held in 2017 during Art Dubai.
==Select exhibitions and commissioned artwork==
S. No. 	Year 	Venue 	Location
Exhibitions 	Exhibitions 	Exhibitions 	Exhibitions
1 	2014 	BiCE -­ Bahrain World Trade Center-­Solo exhibition 	Bahrain
2 	2015 	Malja Annual Art Exhibition 	Bahrain
3 	2016 	(Big Eyes) conducting of art basics course-My Training institute -­ Oman 	Oman
4 	2017 	Emirates Writers Union Exhibition 	Dubai
5 	2018 	Bahrain Day art exhibition at the Seven Hills International Film Festival 	Baja, Hungary
6 	2019 	“Sahayb” group exhibition organized by gallery015 & Harvey Nichols, KSA 	Riyadh
7 	2020 	Arab Artist Union virtual art gallery 	Saudi Arabia
8 	2021 	Group art show – Access Art Gallery – Cairo 	Egypt
Commissioned Artworks	Commissioned Artworks	Commissioned Artworks 	Commissioned Artworks
9 	2016 	Artwork for a novel by the Emirati writer Lamees Bin Hafith 	UAE
10 	2016 	Artwork for a folk story novel by the Qatari writer Hamad Al Tamini 	Qatar
11 	2019 	Home Center group for customized GCC themed home accessories and furniture	GCC
==Select paintings==
* Reflections
* Sisters
* Sea of Dreams
* Blue Nashil
* Zainab
* Fish Eye
* Mass Wedding “Blue”
* Mashmoom
* City Talk
* Lilac
* Colors within me
==Personal life==
Ayoobi is married to Abdulrahman Almokla, who is a businessman. The couple has three children named Adam, who is 12 years old, Firas, who is 3 years old, and Fatin, who is 2 years old. Ayoobi is fluent in Arabic and English.
==In the media==
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==References==
==External links==
* Official website
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Category:1981 births
Category:Bahraini artists
Category:Bahraini businesspeople
Category:People from Manama
Category:Living people
Category:Bahraini people