Saudi Art: Reflections on Mediums of Modernity and Contemporality
Overview
Since the 1950s and up to the present day, visual arts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have undergone radical transformations that reflect the profound social and cultural changes in the country. This book is a journey through those transformations, in which writers and creatives—artists, academics, historians, and museum curators - shed light on the features of the Saudi art scene in all its diversity and complexity, through both objective and personal critical approaches infused with creative and scholarly sensibilities.
Supported by the Visual Arts Commission, this publication is not merely a collection of essays, but an open platform for dialogue between Saudi art and its local and international audiences—one that seeks to enrich discourse, support research, and spark critical imagination in reading Saudi visual arts.
About the Authors
Manal Khader
Manal Khader is a writer, editor and actress based in Beirut. She is one of the founders of Kalamon – a Beirut based cultural quarterly review – and co-editor of the publication from 2010 to 2015. Manal plays leading and supporting roles in Arab and international films and in 2015, she co-wrote and performed with Rabih Mroué a theatrical play entitled "Ode to Joy”.
Dr. Abeer Alsaadi
Dr. Abeer Alsaadi is a professor of design and arts at Umm Al-Qura University and an expert in heritage, design, and culture. Since 2024, she has been seconded to the University of Hail and serves as a member of the advisory committee at the College of Design and Arts at the University of Jeddah. Throughout her career, she has held several administrative and academic positions, including chair of the Visual Arts Curriculum Committee, vice dean of the College of Education for Academic Affairs, and vice dean of the Deanship of University Studies at Umm Al-Qura University. She also chaired the Scientific Committee for the Handicrafts Conference at the University of Hail in 2025. Al-Saadi has published over 27 research papers in the fields of design, arts, heritage, and identity. She has supervised and examined numerous master’s and doctoral theses, conducted various training courses and workshops, and participated in many local and international conferences. Passionate about the intersection of technology, heritage, and identity, she is also deeply engaged in the management and planning of educational and artistic programs.
Dr. Khulod Albugami
Dr. Khulod Albugami is a visual artist, cultural consultant, and academic with over fifteen years of experience in art and design. She has received the Princess Noura Award for Women's Excellence in Culture and Visual Arts, and her sculptures are featured in a permanent display at Maison Chaumet. Her work seeks to promote Saudi art and culture while reinterpreting cultural roots in a contemporary context. Drawing from traditional arts, crafts, and heritage practices, she explores themes of memory, materiality, and place within Saudi society and culture. She believes that art, culture, heritage, and crafts serve as a shared space for preserving national history across generations and as a platform for dialogue with diverse cultures and communities worldwide.
Bader Albalawi
Bader AlBalawi is a visual artist, writer, and filmmaker based in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. His work explores travel, street life, and cultural transitions through photography, film, and writing. A passionate traveler and art collector, he engages with themes of transformation in Saudi society. In 2014, he published his first photobook, Road to the North: 85 Scenes You May Spot on Your Way to Northwest Saudi Arabia. His first film, Saudi The Superhero, was nominated for Best Feature Documentary at the Septimius Awards in 2023. His artwork has been exhibited widely, including at Art Jameel, Misk Art Institute, and Bin Matar House.
Abdulrahman Al-Soliman
Abdulrahman Al-Soliman was born in al-Hasa in 1954. He is a Saudi artist and writer who has won many national and international awards during an artistic career that has grown over five decades. He has had solo exhibitions in Dammam, Riyadh, Jiddah, Tangier, Cairo, Kuwait, Paris and Doha. He was head of the Department of Fine Arts at the Society of Culture and Arts in Dammam (1987 – 2000) and was the first president of the Saudi Society for Fine Arts (2007 – 2012). An active writer and editor, he has published many books on the art of Saudi Arabia.
Cecilia Ruggeri
Cecilia Ruggeri is a curator at Misk Art Institute in Riyadh. She holds a B.A. from Institut d’Etudes Superieurs des Arts (Paris) and an M.A. from the Courtauld Institute of Art (London) and is currently completing a Ph.D. in art history at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Ruggeri's curatorial practice bridges historical and contemporary art, exploring diverse themes, subjects, and display techniques. Informed by her experiences in classical art historical spheres and contemporary spaces, her research aims to redefine the ways art is promoted and consumed while fostering transnational dialogues in art history
Haytham Nawar
Haytham Nawar is a practicing artist, designer, and scholar in the fields of art and design. Over the past two decades, he has built a professional and academic career while simultaneously fulfilling various roles. Dr. Nawar currently serves as the director of Diriyah Art Futures at the Ministry of Culture in Riyadh and is also a tenured faculty member at the American University in Cairo. He co-founded Cairotronica, the Cairo International Electronic and New Media Arts Festival. He earned his Ph.D. from the CAiiA Hub at the Planetary Collegium, Plymouth University in the UK. His research interests include art and design history, Arab media arts, and pictographic communication systems, focusing specifically on the Arab world and Africa. Among his notable publications are Language of Tomorrow and A History of Arab Graphic Design.
Natalie Ayoub
Natalie Ayoub is a visual artist, editor, and project manager at Kaph Books, where she oversees editorial projects produced in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Culture. Her artistic and research interests explore the ontological boundaries and interplay between the virtual and the actual, drawing from chaos theory to trace patterns and complexities in human and non-human existence. Natalie is currently based in Rome, Italy, where she is pursuing her postgraduate studies in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies (MA) at Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA). She previously lived in Beirut, Lebanon, where she completed her undergraduate studies at the American University of Beirut (AUB), double majoring in Environmental Health (BS) and Studio Arts (BA). Since 2021, she has also been part of the Darkroom Amman collective in Jordan.
Dr. Khaled Alghazi
Dr. Khaled Alghazi is a university professor and expert in media and content creation, with more than 20 years of experience in the field of media and culture. He has leadership and creative skills, and a record of achievements in establishing and managing projects, developing strategic plans, and creating innovative creative content. He has held several leadership and advisory positions in various organizations and led teams in large projects in different sectors.
Technical Details
- Publication Date:
- Monday, October 20, 2025
- Language:
- English & Arabic
- Format:
- Hardcover
- Dimensions:
- 32 x 23 cm
- Weight:
- 1 kg
- ISBN:
- 978-614-8065-04-0
- Number of Pages:
- 165
- Publisher:
- Kaph Books