Artist Statement

My inspiration for art comes from my country, a land of contrasting
images and ideas.  I began working with collage, a technique of collecting,
cutting, and pasting objects and images on paper and canvas.
These early works, which included symbols and motifs from the local culture,
expressed my view about life in Saudi Arabia. These projects also represented
my spiritual connection to the historic region of Najd with its strong
religious and cultural heritage, colorful patterned fabrics, and old Najdi
architecture. These elements greatly influenced my art.
Moving from collage to photography felt like a natural evolution of my art.
I always liked photo-collage and its use of overlays and layers.
I began working with traditional black and white photography and over the
years became obsessed with the relationship between light and shadow.
In order to develop and print my own images, I had to build my own darkroom.
It was the only way to control both quality and content, the two most
important factors in making fine art prints. My fascination with photograms
grew out of my interest in combining collages and photography.
I work with thematic series, 20 images each, where my first photograms series,
Capturing Light, focused on medical subjects.
The Tradition & Modernity series presents photograms close to the edge of
Arabia, my own culture and its transformation from tradition to modernity.
The Shemagh Mirage series is a portrayal of the urban man in Saudi Arabia.

Exhibitions - Selection of exhibitions locally and international

 Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam, The British Museum, London
26 January – 15 April
We need to talk, EOA Jeddah 20 January - 18 Febuary
The Bravery of Being Out of Range II, The Sultan Gallery Kuwait
Jan 17 January - 2 Febuary
ME.NA.SA.ART., Beirut Art Fair, Athr Gallery 2011
Marrakech Art fair, Athr Gallery 2011
Journeys, Stories of the World, Orleans House Gallery, London GB
Athr Gallery, Dubai Art fair
Terminal, Edge of Arabia, Dubai Art fair
Transition, Edge of Arabia Istanbul
Nabatt ,Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art
Grey Borders/Grey Frontiers, Edge of Arabia, Sixth Berlin Biennale
Art Dubai ,Edge of Arabia,Dubai, UAE
Global Competitiveness Forum ,Edge of Arabia, Kingdom Tower, Riyadh
Venice Biennale ,Edge of Arabia, Venice, IT
Brunei Gallery ,Edge of Arabia, London GB
Capturing Light. Galerie O. Riyadh
International conference on Tourism and Handicrafts, Riyadh
SDCG Exhibition, Holland
AL-Nahda Society Centennial Exhibition, Riyadh
Al-Janadriah 14 in Commemoration of the Centennial, Riyadh
Environmental Week Exhibition, King Saud University Riyadh
Arabian Oil Company, Al-Jubail
The Kingdom Today and Yesterday, USA & Canada
Twaiq Palace, D.Q. Riyadh
Al Wafa Foundation ,Riyadh
Jeddah Dome,Jeddah Artists Group
American Cultural Center, Jeddah

Collections
British Museum
UBS Art Collections
Greenbox Museum-Amsterdam
Private Collectors

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