6 days ago
'Art of the Kingdom' Brings Top Saudi Contemporary Artists to Beijing
Saudi Arabia's first travelling exhibition, 'Art of the Kingdom,' opens in Beijing, featuring works by over 30 Saudi artists on display until October 30th, including these high-profile names.
The first travelling exhibition showcasing Saudi contemporary art to the world, 'Art of the Kingdom,' has landed the third leg of its international tour at the National Museum of China in Beijing, following earlier successful stops in Rio de Janeiro and Riyadh.
Running until October 30th, the exhibition presents a curated selection of works by more than 30 Saudi artists, showcasing everything from paintings and installations to video pieces.
Amongst the exhibiting artists are these high-profile names from various disciplines, contributing poignant thematic approaches and rich concepts to the Saudi contemporary art scene long before Art of the Kingdom.. Manal AlDowayan
Having represented Saudi Arabia at the 2024 Venice Biennale, Manal Al Dowayan has long explored locally rooted yet universally resonant concepts of gender norms and identity through participatory art, working across photography, installation, sound, and sculpture. Ahmed Mater
A medical doctor turned pioneering contemporary artist, Ahmed Mater began with experiments in X-ray imagery and calligraphy before having his work featured in the British Museum. Over a decade later, he became the first Saudi artist to present a solo exhibition in the United States in 2016. Ayman Zedani
Winner of the inaugural Ithra Art Prize in 2018, Ayman Zedani creates installations and multimedia works exploring the entangled relationships between humans and the natural world in the Arabian Peninsula. Muhannad Shono
Cultural lore, mythology and migration come together in Muhannad Shono's multidisciplinary approach, exploring memory, displacement and creative agency in works held in major collections such as the British Museum, Art Jameel and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Moath Alofi
A lens-based storyteller and explorer, Moath Alofi documents Saudi heritage, overlooked ruins and desert landscapes through photography, becoming a prominent voice in both artistic and cultural preservation. Dana Awartani
Dana Awartani fits heritage and contemporaneity together like a seamless pattern, transforming Islamic geometry, sand mosaics and tilework into sculptures and installations. Her work has been shown in solo exhibitions worldwide and is held in major collections including the British Museum, Hirshhorn Museum and the Guggenheim. Shadia Alem
Shadia Alem represented Saudi Arabia at its inaugural participation in the Venice Biennale in 2011 with the immersive installation The Black Arch, co-created with her sister. Her work draws on Makkah's cultural memory and mythology, and has been shown across Europe, the US and the Middle East. Ahaad Alamoudi
Ahaad Alamoudi works across photography, video and print to reinterpret the Kingdom's cultural narratives and reforming ethnography through artworks she has exhibited internationally, including at the New Museum in New York and the Maraya Art Center in Sharjah.
