Manama: The personal experience of a Bahraini woman who battled cancer is to find expression at a charity art exhibition in the capital Manama.
‘Letters of Hope,’ a collection of unique Arabic calligraphy paintings, is the brainchild of Bahraini painter and photographer Dayana Al Shaikh who has been fighting cancer and campaigning in a number of ways to help the cause of cancer patients. Her paintings evoke hope and beauty in a measure beyond the realm of personal feelings.
Dayana hopes to draw on her unshakeable faith and immovable hope to touch the lives of young patients who suffer from cancer and help improve their condition by donating all the proceeds from artworks sold at the six-day exhibition, which opens on Monday, to the Child’s Wish Society, a Bahraini charity that helps realise wishes of children suffering from the disease. The society has organised several morale-boosting events for young cancer patients and the art exhibition will help it in its work to reach out to young patients.
Dayana’s fervent prayers and messages of resolute hope and unwavering fortitude in the face of adversity are often highlighted in the beauty of natural landscapes and sites that she photographs and posts on her Instagram account (dayanna_bh) where she has more than 11,100 followers.
“God, please cure all those who have cancer. Please ease the pain and grant us satisfaction with what You have in store for us. We ask You to grant every cancer patient and their families fortitude and faith. They are all hoping for Your mercy,” she said in her latest prayers.
Her messages about the fight against cancer and the prayers for cancer patients and families are often praised by her followers.
“Her pictures make you want to walk into the attractively serene natural environment she is posting, and after a few minutes of staring at it, you feel that this very peaceful environment is finding its way into your heart and mind, and you become so relaxed,” one follower said. “Her messages are highly emotional and you find yourself joining her in her fervent prayers.”
