We honor the creative mind with words

The passing of Sami Muhammad brings back an old question about the true meaning of appreciating artists and creators in Kuwait.

We will write about Sami Muhammad... We will pray for his soul, revisit his works, and speak of his status and pioneering role, as well as his paintings and sculptures, which carried the burdens of humanity... And all of this is deserved.

But there is a more painful question we should ask as we bid him farewell: Did we know how to appreciate Sami Muhammad while he was among us? Do we even know how to appreciate achievers while they are alive?

The painful irony is that the man whose works embodied pain, oppression, patience, and suffering, also experienced these very realities in his own life.

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At the age of 80, and after an artistic career spanning nearly 65 years, he continued to strive to realize his dream of a museum dedicated to his works.

He purchased the land himself and saved for the project, until he finally managed to stand inside his museum and see his dream come true before his eyes. Yet, barely two years later, he passed away.

I do not know why the stories of our creators must be so harsh, and this is not just about Sami Muhammad. How many givers spent years quietly leaving their mark, only for us to discover upon their passing how much presence and prestige they brought to Kuwait—something that cannot be achieved through public relations campaigns alone?

Here lies the problem: True appreciation is a system.

Buying a painting is not charity to the artist, and buying a book is not a favor to the writer. Paying for a creative work is not an act of benevolence toward its creator.

It is simply the way we say: What you have created has value worthy of payment.

Creativity requires tools, time, space, and money. No one can survive on applause alone.

Appreciation is not a ceremony, nor a medal, nor a certificate, nor a photograph.

When a ministry or institution purchases artists’ works and displays them in its buildings, that is appreciation. When a company allocates part of its budget to acquire local art, that is appreciation.

We do not expect the state to become a buyer of every painting, nor do we expect support to become a right for everyone who calls themselves a creator.

What we need is to build a culture that recognizes the value of achievement before the creator becomes a death notice.

Creators do not need us to discover their value after they have passed. They need to feel that value while they are still among us.

... May God have mercy on Sami Muhammad and grant him a spacious place in Paradise.