Arab News Japan
TOKYO: KATAKURA Kunio, the former Ambassador to Egypt, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, has paid tribute to Safeya Binzagr, who passed away last week, emphasizing the profound impact of her contributions in enhancing Japan’s relations with Saudi Arabia in the field of culture.
Safeya Binzagr is known as the “mother of creative fine arts” in Saudi Arabia and a symbol of the Vision 2030 movement. She lived the entire journey from the beginning of the modern Kingdom to the era of awakening, and helped bridge the cultural link between Japan and Saudi Arabia.
She was the aunt of current Saudi Ambassador to Japan Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr.
Katakura, who is Chairman of Japan’s Foundation for Desert Culture, fondly recalled Safeya’s “warm and encouraging nature” towards him and his late wife, Motoko. “Her support was instrumental in Motoko’s cultural anthropological fieldwork in Wadi Fatima,” he said. “She always welcomed the Foundation’s follow-up missions with open arms, fostering a deep and personal connection with us.”
Katakura said Safeya was not only a gifted artist whose work inspired many, but also a cherished friend and mentor. Her passion for creativity and dedication to her paintings left an indelible mark, and her artistic legacy will continue to inspire future generations.
Ambassador Binzagr commented: “Building a cultural bridge is the core for creating a distinguished future between two countries and I strive, as an ambassador, to support this because it creates an opportunity for common interests to rise to a common outlook and mutually supportive values.”
“The mission carried out by my late aunt will continue the making of a new era. She was one of the pillars that paved the way for this through her dedication to building and promoting the culture of the arts for future generations. The Kingdom considers her the mother of the cultural heritage of creative fine arts.”
Through their friendship, Safeya Binzagr and her Japanese friend knocked on a door that is opening the horizons of future Arab Japanese relations.
When she lived with the tribes of Wadi Fatima in Saudi Arabia, Katakura believed that the culture of the desert had a combination that could be transferred to Japan. She called it the culture of “comfort,” indicating how the desert reflects its people, a space from which poetry, the arts and a comfortable, balanced outlook on life can emerge.
Ambassador Binzagr said there are ongoing efforts to link the Katakuta Foundation to prominent foundations in the Kingdom to build a broader understanding of this cultural convergence.