“Dr. Jawaher Al-Bader's immersive approach to life is one of wholehearted embrace. From the depths of solitary endeavor, her work becomes a collective passion with fellow creators she interacts with daily in Art Studio Kuwait - the school she co-founded with Robert Gurney, her husband and creative partner. This school is an example of what our institutions can do for the public. The public, our communities, or places where we commune that feed the soul are largely absent from modern life. This school was born out of a necessity for safety. That safety supports our transcendence from the sorrows that attend each person’s life as we navigate living. Al-Bader's painting journey is a testament to the relentless pursuit of a secure space for creative expression, a metamorphosis from innocence to maturity within the realm of contemporary abstract art. Her painting practice and her mentoring of young creative spirits (regardless of age) feed each other, fueling an engine — with humor, love, and truth — that brings hope.

I was recently honored to visit Jawaher’s studio. One series of smaller paintings was across a wall, and it was like the ocean. I could see the surface of waves and light dancing, but an even greater force was inside the paintings — an undercurrent that held all the superficial marks together. I would guess this network of energies is a mystery to our limited perceptual capabilities, but I would venture it is also evidence of trusting in our abilities to grow and connect, from that which we live daily to that which has lived before and will come after we are gone.”

- By Thomas Bosket, mentor and teacher