Khaleeji Art Series

Khalid Al Shaqsi: “The Donkey is Part of Our Culture”

Inside the photo series by Omani photographer Khalid Alshaqsi.

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By Sekka

This article is part of the Khaleeji Art Series, which spotlights artists and art from the Gulf region.

“Art is a way of life. We have to see art in everything surrounding us,” states Khalid Alshaqsi. The 24-year-old emerging photographer sees art in his country Oman. “Oman, with its seas, mountains, valleys and people are my inspiration, and I seek to depict them in a modern way,” he says.

Young Omani photographer Khalid Alshaqsi. Image: Courtesy of Khalid Al Shaqsi.

His work titled The Donkey is Part of our Culture, “speaks about the past and the present of some people in our society that depend on this incredible creature to carry out their daily tasks, and cannot live without it. It revolves around the young that are raised on farms with donkeys to help them carry out their tasks and carry the harvest,” describes Khalid. “The work was inspired by a young man from my area, the Al-Khabura Governorate, who passes by daily on his donkey. It was taken on a farm in my area, with the participation of two young men: Al Hassan Alrudaini and Abdulrahman Algutaiti .”

From The Donkey is Part of Our Culture photo series by Khalid Alshaqsi. Image: Courtesy of Khalid Alshaqsi.

While this part puts an underappreciated local animal in center stage, in the future, the young photographer, who is part of a generation of young Omani creatives like Abdulaziz Alhosni, Mahmood Alzadjali, Israa Al Balushi, H.H. Sayyid Meyyan Shihab Al Said, Mujahid Al Malki and Chndy, hopes to be able to take photographs that have a strong Omani identity for global brands, as well as those that capture the youth of the country and that express his views on social issues.

To see more of Khalid Al Shaqsi’s work visit his page on Instagram.


The views of the authors and writers who contribute to Sekka, and the views of the interviewees who are featured in Sekka, do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sekka, its parent company, its owners, employees and affiliates.

This article was translated from Arabic.