Artelier Curation: Raffles Al Areen Palace Hotel, Bahrain
- Artelier
- Jun 23
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 24
Collaborating with the world's most revered hotel brands, Artelier develops bespoke art collections for global projects in locations such as Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia. Each carefully crafted hotel art collection speaks to the unique culture of its context, bringing local heritage to life for a wide audience. Promoting talented local and international artists, every hotel collection feels both relevant and fresh.
An Oasis Amidst Arid Sands
Raffles entrusted Artelier to curate a bespoke art collection for their new desert palace hotel: an ancient desert palace reimagined with the luxuries of today. Nestled on the Bahraini coastline, our team researched, commissioned and curated the entire collection, drawing inspiration from the lushest of greenery to the driest of deserts. You can book an art tour of the collection here.
"Striking art and objets d'art, skilfully created by talented Bahraini artists, adorn the hotel's conservatory entrance, the restaurants and the shared spaces. Join Raffle's knowledgeable butler-curator for a private guided tour, celebrating the vivid colours, eyecatching shapes and fascinating stories of Arabic art and architecture. All of the pieces are naturally lit through high glass ceilings, as you move seamlessly through Arabesque arches and across decorated marble floors from one tranquil space to the next."
-Raffles Hotels
The Entrance © Tooze Studio
Woven Histories
Adorning the hotel’s entrance, contemporary textile wall art honours Bahrain’s rich legacy of community and trade, paying homage to weaving traditions cherished and preserved across generations.
The Lounge © Tooze Studio
A Modern Twist
Pieces celebrate the fusion of tradition and modernity – traditional Bahraini materials interwoven with contemporary art styles, reflecting the architectural blending of the city and its local culture.
The Lounge © Tooze Studio
Investing Locally
At the core of our curation is a commitment to strengthening the local Bahraini art market. We scouted emerging and established talent in the region, like artist-painter Omar Al Rashid, whose jewel-toned palette and original textural approach capture the vibrancy of the Bahraini community.
A Hallway © Tooze Studio
Preserving Craftsmanship
Our curators have unearthed hidden talents in timeless, sustainable crafts. Ancient heritage techniques have been meticulously preserved, from an artist specialising in lapis-lazuli pigmented ceramics to another adept in intricate gold-threaded textiles, the collection echoes generations of creative ingenuity.
Courtyard © Tooze Studio
A Human Touch: Figuration
Reflecting the international spectrum of guests to the hotel, Ebrahim BuSaad’s Cubist-influenced painting blends European modernism with idioms from Bahraini culture: a paisley-clad woman paired with a friendly Lutino lovebird.
Entrance © Tooze Studio
Fragments from A Dilmun Past
Contemporary Bahraini artists used heritage pottery techniques to honour the artistic ingenuity of those from bygone eras. Memories of the ancient Dilmun civilisation are reawakened by fragments mimicking an archaeological excavation of precious ancient tiles.
Library © Tooze Studio
Poetry & Calligraphy
Inspired by Bahrain’s Sumerian namesake as "the place where the sun rises," Bahraini artefacts reference the intertwinement of ancient script and modern Dilmun language.
Game Room © Tooze Studio
Lost Treasures
Gold, treasured for millennia, embodies timeless opulence. This mystique spans civilisations, symbolising Bahrain's luxurious Dilmun era and Raffles' role as a destination during the Golden Age of Travel.
Our Services
As leading hospitality art consultants, Artelier is brought onboard as a trusted hotel art partner for revered hotel projects, providing creative art direction & turn-key project management
Further Reading
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