JEDDAH — When everything was locked down during the curfew period, a Saudi security guard unlocked his creativity by using his free moments from doing nothing to creating something. He used these golden moments to let his imagination fly high and with it lent wings to an artist buried in him. The absence of visitors at the mall, where he is working, and sufficient amount of free time were the catalysts for Abdullah Bin Abdul Mohsen. The result was the creation of hundreds of unique paintings depicting his unique creativity and incredible visualization of his surroundings. When a passerby saw one of the paintings, he was awestruck by the finesse and the beauty, and the painting caught his fancy. He quickly took a picture of that work of art, while Abdullah was not focusing on creating another painting. Abdullah was immersed in his creative work, when the man clicked the photo, which the connoisseur then posted on social media and instantly it went viral. Several prominent figures as well as ordinary people appreciated Abdullah’s effort posted on social media The viral painting too caught the eye of Minister of Culture Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan, who commented in his Twitter account: “Oh, Abdullah, your creativity is amazing, continue it... my colleagues in the Ministry of Culture will communicate with you.” Abdullah, who has been working at a commercial complex in Jeddah governorate for three years, used his long free periods during the lockdown, following the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, to work on his art. And soon he demonstrated his superb talent for painting and his flair for creativity, by drawing hundreds of paintings and presenting distinctive art styles that reflected the depth of the paintings and visual creativity. His work, through the social media, soon came into the public eye. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Abdullah said: “Most often, I practiced paintings and pictures as a hobby while at home. However, during the days of curfew when the malls were closed and there were no customers and shoppers, I used the free time to draw while guarding the main gate of the mall,” he said. He added, “One day, while I was engaged in drawing, a person, without my knowledge, took a picture of one of the paintings, which must have attracted him, and posted it on social media, and it instantly became a hit.” As a security guard, Abdullah says, he has had the opportunity to develop many hobbies such as drawing, memorizing the Holy Qur’an and enrolling in personality development courses, especially during evening shifts. “I loved art and painting ever since my childhood, and I have been practicing my hobby in plastic art for more than 28 years. I have also tried hard to develop myself, by participating in many competitions and exhibitions. But my preference is the surreal school and a deep love to paint the nature in pastel colors.” Abdullah also disclosed that main themes of his paintings range from abstract to reality that allows for a free run of my imagination in practicing the former and illustrating natural scenes when I’m in the mood for the latter. The security guard, who has held many art-training classes for the uninitiated, added: “My ambition is to hold a private art show in an art gallery.”