Japanese Artist Takashi Murakami Opens Exhibit in Ohio Museum with More than 100 Workshttps://english.aawsat.com/culture/5146692-japanese-artist-takashi-murakami-opens-exhibit-ohio-museum-more-100-works
Japanese Artist Takashi Murakami Opens Exhibit in Ohio Museum with More than 100 Works
Artist Takashi Murakami is pictured during an interview in front of a true-to-scale recreation of the Yumedono from the Horyuji Temple complex in Nara, at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP)
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Japanese Artist Takashi Murakami Opens Exhibit in Ohio Museum with More than 100 Works
Artist Takashi Murakami is pictured during an interview in front of a true-to-scale recreation of the Yumedono from the Horyuji Temple complex in Nara, at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP)
Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami has never been limited to one medium, creating paintings, sculptures, luxury goods with fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, album covers and an exclusive merchandising collection with Major League Baseball.
Now, he has filled a US museum hall with portraits in every color as part of an exhibit opening Sunday at the Cleveland Museum of Art. "Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow," an update of an exhibit first shown in Los Angeles, features more than 100 ranging works.
Murakami, known for his smiling rainbow-colored flower icon, intentionally layered light-hearted themes with historical events linked to trauma, he told The Associated Press.
The art explores the impact of trauma on people and culture, said Ed Schad, curator and publications manager at contemporary art museum The Broad in Los Angeles.
The portraits "have historical roots and that they could actually tell you a lot about what a society is doing, how healthy a society is, what a society is responding to," Schad said. "What society is responding to most often in this exhibition is the idea of trauma."
One sculpture depicts Murakami and his dog with half of their bodies in anatomical form, showing their bones and organs, while the other half is their outward appearances. The sculpture, Pom and Me, is described as Murakami’s interpretation of his experience in the West through the lens of his Japanese identity.
Square portraits featuring cartoonish flowers with facial expressions cover one wall of the exhibit, organized by background color to create a rainbow effect. One flower is wiping a tear from its eye, while another appears to be a zombie. One has blood dripping from its mouth. One appears to be in awe watching fireworks.
Though there are no obviously direct visual references to historical events, the museum said the art can be seen through the lens of three events in Japanese history: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States during World War II, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, leading to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Murakami said it's a bit of a misunderstanding that his work "is very easy and very popular."
"But this is okay because this is one of my tricks," he said.
What someone might admire about his art as a child, Murakami said, would likely not be what is admired by an adult.
Before entering the exhibit on the lower floor of the museum, visitors can walk through a version of the Yumedono, the octagonal-shaped building at Horyuji Temple in Nara, Japan. Murakami said he was inspired to create the structure after viewing the 2024 television series "Shōgun."
Inside the structure are four new paintings, "Blue Dragon Kyoto,Vermillion Bird Kyoto,White Tiger Kyoto" and "Black Tortoise Kyoto", created between 2023 and 2025.
Saudi Heritage Commission Enforces Strict Penalties Against Antiquities Violatorshttps://english.aawsat.com/culture/5269419-saudi-heritage-commission-enforces-strict-penalties-against-antiquities-violators
Saudi Heritage Commission Enforces Strict Penalties Against Antiquities Violators
The fines varied according to the nature and circumstances of each violation
The Saudi Heritage Commission announced financial fines against 11 violators for dealing in portable antiquities without obtaining the required regulatory licenses, as part of its ongoing efforts to protect cultural heritage in the Kingdom and enhance compliance with regulations governing the sector.
The commission clarified that the violations involved displaying and selling antiquities on online platforms without registering or documenting them with the Heritage Commission or obtaining the necessary licenses, in explicit violation of the provisions of the Law of Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage.
The fines varied according to the nature and circumstances of each violation, reaching up to SAR15,000 in some cases.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring violations related to heritage sites and collections across the Kingdom and taking the necessary legal and regulatory actions against all those proven to have contravened the regulations.
The Heritage Commission called on all citizens and residents to report any violations or non-compliant practices related to heritage sites or collections through its social media channels, by visiting its branches across the Kingdom, through the Archaeological Site Reporting platform, or by contacting the unified security operations center at 911.
Holy Quran Museum Showcases Rare 18th-Century Brass-Engraved Copy of the Quranhttps://english.aawsat.com/culture/5269098-holy-quran-museum-showcases-rare-18th-century-brass-engraved-copy-quran
Holy Quran Museum Showcases Rare 18th-Century Brass-Engraved Copy of the Quran
Among the museum’s distinctive exhibits is a copy of the Quran engraved on brass plates dating back to the 12th century AH - SPA
The Holy Quran Museum in the Hira Cultural District in Makkah offers a rich cultural and knowledge experience, enabling visitors to explore the history of the Holy Quran and its sciences, and view rare manuscripts and artifacts documenting the journey of its transcription through the ages, reflecting the care Muslims have given to the Holy Quran since the dawn of Islam to the present day, SPA reported.
Among the museum’s distinctive exhibits is a copy of the Quran engraved on brass plates dating back to the 12th century AH (18th century CE), showcasing the precision and mastery achieved in Islamic arts and the special attention given to Quranic transcription, combining beauty and scholarly accuracy.
This artwork embodies a continuation of deep-rooted traditions in Islamic calligraphy and decorative arts, utilizing various materials and techniques from parchment and paper to metals, highlighting Muslims’ profound connection to the Holy Quran and their commitment to preserving it in artistic forms that combine creativity and reverence.
Yemen Introduced the World to Coffee. Now, Its Coffeehouse Culture Is Booming in the UShttps://english.aawsat.com/culture/5268899-yemen-introduced-world-coffee-now-its-coffeehouse-culture-booming-us
Franchisee Ahmad Badr serves a drink and treat sampler at Arwa Yemeni Coffee on April 6, 2026, in Sunnyvale, Calif. (AP)
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Yemen Introduced the World to Coffee. Now, Its Coffeehouse Culture Is Booming in the US
Franchisee Ahmad Badr serves a drink and treat sampler at Arwa Yemeni Coffee on April 6, 2026, in Sunnyvale, Calif. (AP)
Hundreds of years ago, Yemen helped introduce the world to coffee. Lately, the mountainous, war-ravaged country that borders Saudi Arabia and Oman is exporting something else: its coffee culture.
Yemeni coffeehouses are opening at a rapid pace across the US. The number of cafes run by six major chains that serve Yemeni-style drinks grew 50% last year to 136, according to Technomic, a restaurant industry consulting company. The count doesn’t include the many smaller chains and independent cafes serving coffees and teas imported from Yemen.
Yemeni coffeehouses are meeting the moment for several reasons. They stay open late — sometimes past 3 a.m., especially during Ramadan — and provide a place to socialize for the growing number of Americans who don’t drink alcohol. Last year, a Gallup poll found that just 54% US adults reported drinking alcohol, the lowest percentage in 90 years.
“Generally in the Middle East, our nightlife is coffee, right? People hang out at coffee shops, they play cards, they talk. We wanted to bring that here,” said Ahmad Badr, who owns an Arwa Yemeni Coffee franchise in Sunnyvale, California.
Another reason for the cafes’ popularity is the growing number of Americans of Arab descent. Between 2010 and 2024, the Arab American population in the US rose by 43%, compared to around 10% growth for the US population as a whole, according to the Arab American Institute.
While most Yemeni coffee shops are in places with high concentrations of Arab Americans, including Michigan, California and Texas, they’re also opening in locations as diverse as Alpharetta, Georgia; Overland Park, Kansas; and Portland, Maine.
Customers are seen inside Arwa Yemeni Coffee on April 6, 2026, in Sunnyvale, Calif. (AP)
A taste of home
Faris Almatrahi is the co-founder and owner of Texas-based Arwa Yemeni Coffee, a chain with 11 cafes across the US and 30 more in development. He said an ongoing civil war in Yemen that began in 2014 has prevented Yemeni Americans like himself from visiting their homeland, so he has tried to evoke Yemen in his cafes.
Arwa locations are painted in natural desert tones, with archways that mimic mosques and lampshades shaped like the hats worn by Yemen’s coffee farmers.
“One of the ways to actually visit without traveling there was to bring that experience to the US, and that was a huge passion for us when we opened our first location,” Almatrahi said. “It was extremely emotional for all of us due to the fact that it really transported us to Yemen."
But Almatrahi noted that most of his customers aren’t of Arab descent. In fact, Americans of all backgrounds are seeking out new global flavors and authentic experiences, according to market research company Datassential. Food trends are also spreading quickly through social media.
Menus vary, but Yemeni cafes generally serve specialties like Adeni tea, a spiced tea similar to chai, and qishr, a traditional drink made from the dried husks of coffee cherries. Familiar drinks like lattes might contain special spices or honey; at Arwa, lattes features the outline of a camel stenciled in spices.
Bakery cases might contain khaliat nahal, or Yemeni honeycomb bread, a cheese-filled pastry drizzled with honey, or basboosa, a cake soaked in sugar syrup and often flavored with lemon or rose water. Many Yemeni menus also mix in more typical US coffeeshop fare, like matcha lattes or berry refreshers.
Franchisee Samir Irani pours Adeni tea inside Arwa Yemeni Coffee on April 6, 2026, in Sunnyvale, Calif. (AP)
Choices for coffee lovers
Peter Giuliano, a researcher with the Specialty Coffee Association, a California-based nonprofit, said culturally specific cafes have been a key growth driver in the US coffee industry for the last few years. In addition to Yemeni cafes, he cited the Latin-style chain Tierra Mia in California and Nguyen Coffee Supply, a New York-based company that roasts Vietnamese beans.
A customer who visited Badr's shop in Sunnyvale for the first time said an internet search brought her there on a recent weekday. Cindy Donovan said she’s always on the hunt for good coffee and was excited by Yemeni coffees she tried.
“I think they're much more refined and mellow, and much more full of flavor than a regular cup of dark roast, for instance,” Donovan said. “The cardamom in the drinks is fantastic. Very, very flavorful, rich but not heavy.”
Most Yemeni coffee is sun-dried, which enhances its flavor and brings out undertones of chocolate and fruit, Almatrahi said. Yemeni cafes often mix coffee with special spice mixes – or hawaij – that may contain cardamon, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, coriander or nutmeg.
“Our coffee and teas are not just made through a fully automatic machine,” said Mohamed Nasser, the director of operations for Haraz Coffee House, a Dearborn, Michigan-based chain with 50 US outlets and another 50 in development. “We have to manually blend and mix our coffee and tea, boil it with water and evaporated milk, make sure that it comes out (with the) perfect taste, perfect color.”
Yemen's flavorful history
Coffee has a long history in Yemen. While the plant was likely discovered in Ethiopia, by the 1400s it was being cultivated in Yemen, where monks brewed it to stay awake during prayers, according to the National Coffee Association, a US trade group.
Yemen monopolized the coffee trade for around 200 years until Dutch merchants smuggled coffee seeds to Indonesia and began growing plants there.
Almatrahi said a revitalization of the Yemeni coffee industry over the last two decades, led by coffee companies, foundations and young entrepreneurs, helped make the current US boom possible.
Coffee is one of the most promising sectors for economic development in Yemen, where more than 80% of the population lives in poverty, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
“We are ambassadors for our culture and our people. So when we open these shops, we want to perform the outreach, to show the hospitality, to show what we have to offer,” Almatrahi said.
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