Who is the artist Mohammed bin Ayman Hajar?
Mohammed bin Ayman Hajar is a composer and sound engineer from Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, specializing in designing auditory experiences for visual artworks. In his work, he transforms visual elements such as light, texture, and composition into sonic and musical structures, allowing the audience to experience the artwork through multiple senses.
As a visually impaired artist, Mohammed has developed a keen sensitivity to auditory details, enabling him to create what can be called the “auditory identity” of artworks, where music is not just an accompaniment but an integral part of the work itself.
Mohammed employs sound engineering techniques and AI tools to analyze paintings and reinterpret them sonically, in an ongoing dialogue with the artistic practice of his father, the artist Ayman Hajar, aiming to create multisensory works that combine sight, sound, and spatial perception into a single, immersive experience.
Audio Works
Some of the audio works created for paintings
The Ship and the Busy Sea
I created a remix inspired by the spirit of Titanic’s music, reflecting the ship’s grandeur and its clash with the waves, using dramatic rises to evoke both danger and majesty.
The Octopus Arm and the Torch
Inspired by the octopus’s mystery and power, the piece creates a dark, deep-sea atmosphere with heavy tones and slow, tense movements—both haunting and captivating.
The Airplane Above the Clouds
I crafted the music to be bold and dynamic, reflecting the airplane’s speed and power through fast rhythms, sharp melodic lines, and layered sounds that mirror the force of its engines. Brief moments of silence highlight the contrast between the roar of motion and the calm beneath the clouds.
The Classic Car in an Old Street
After envisioning the painting, I explored mid-20th-century European music and drew inspiration to compose a melody that aligns with the elegance of the classic car and the nostalgia of a bygone era, using light orchestral instrumentation and subtle jazz elements to evoke the feeling of old streets and cherished memories.
A Contemplative Young Man on the Mountain
The music here leans toward calm and contemplation, simplifying complexity to create a gentle remix of a well-known piece. Light sounds are added to match the stillness of the mountain and evoke a sense of solitude and reflection.
A Ship Under the Moonlight
I drew inspiration for this piece from the feeling of contemplation while sailing at night. The music is calm and flowing, with spacious soundscapes that evoke serenity, and delicate tones reflecting the moon’s shimmer on the sea and the stillness of the night breeze.
The Arabian Horse Head
I created a gentle melody capturing the horse’s grace, pride, and affection for its owner, with agile melodic lines and instruments that convey smooth movement, accented by rhythms echoing the beat of its hooves.
The Prophet’s Mosque, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah
As someone from Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, I was inspired by the Prophet’s Mosque and its surroundings. I crafted the audio to mirror the mosque’s exterior as in the painting, focusing on the spiritual atmosphere, soft cooing of pigeons, and echoes that convey a sense of majesty and reverence.
Desk with an Old European View
This is a remix of a well-known piece, adapted to suit the painting’s contemplative and elegant atmosphere, using playing techniques that evoke nostalgia and inner calm, fitting a workspace overlooking an old European street.
A side view of a lion's face
I drew inspiration from the lion’s majesty and grandeur, focusing not just on drums and rhythms that suggest power, but on a strong melody expressing dominance, with a musical arrangement that gives each note a commanding presence.
The Calm Elephant
The melody draws inspiration from the elephant’s grandeur and calm, with a spacious, sometimes heavy soundscape reflecting its size and majesty, paired with a gentle yet majestic tune that highlights the elephant’s serene and profound character.
The Old Market
I sought to revive the spirit of bygone eras by creating a remix of the famous Andalusian Mawwal (Lamma Bada Yatathanna), blending the market’s bustle and nostalgia with Andalusian melodies, using musical phrases that mimic chatter and craft noises to evoke the lively movement of people and goods.
The Tiger Emerging from Darkness
I based the piece on The Pink Panther music but went beyond a simple rendition, crafting a unique version with added melodic and rhythmic elements to convey majesty, strength, and agility, including tense moments that highlight its sudden emergence from the shadows.
The Train in Nature
I created a remix inspired by a famous song by the late Mohamed Abdel Wahab (Ya Wabour), centered on the train. I transformed it into a sonic painting that captures the train’s movement through nature, balancing the rhythm of the tracks with the surrounding natural calm.
The Grand Mosque, Mecca
I composed an audio piece to express the grandeur of Masjid al-Haram, using reverent sound effects and elements that evoke serenity and spiritual purity, reflecting the sacred atmosphere of the place despite its immense majesty.
The Roshan and the Old Shops
I performed and remixed a famous song by Mohammed Haddad (Ahl Awwal), adapting it to the ambiance of old shops and balconies, with an arrangement that evokes the warmth of traditional homes, bustling markets, and simple social gatherings.
The Emblem of Saudi Arabia
This composition combines the spirit of the Saudi national anthem with Biladi Biladi Manar Al-Huda, arranged to emphasize grandeur through epic drums and sound layers that evoke pride and reverence for the nation.
The Horse Carriage at Night
I created a remix inspired by the theme of *The Night of Fatima’s Arrest*. Since the film centers on struggle and resilience, I associated it with the image of a horse striving to pull a cart, and chose this rhythm to express perseverance, loyalty, and hard work.