Edge of Arabia would like to thank all our patrons, sponsors and supporters for their sustained support over the years. Without the help of all these people, the project would simply not be possible.
A Word from Dr Abdulaziz Al-Sebail
“Throughout history, art has been a vehicle through which people have expressed their visions of humanity and articulated their views of the world and of their own cultures as part of the global cycle of change. The artistic movement in Saudi Arabia is rooted in the Saudi artist’s adherence to all which reflects the transcendental aura of ‘Arabia’.
“Aware of their role, Saudi artists engage with the authentic texture of their multi-faceted culture, navigating Saudi heritage to depict glimpses of customary practices which resonate through generations, across the sparkling sands of ‘Arabia’ and along the mystic narrow alleys of ancient cities north, south, east and west. Saudi artists fuse a visionary understanding of their own cultural and architectural surroundings with an adaptation of modern schools of Western art, which many of them have been exposed to during their studies in Italy, France, England and the United States.
“Art practice in Saudi Arabia has experienced many fluctuations and intrinsic changes that have accompanied the intellectual and ideological upheaval in Saudi society. From the impressionist portrayal of social practices and ritualistic ways of celebrating religious and communal occasions, to the new generation’s surrealistic and symbolic depiction of the internal human struggle and thirst for peace and freedom, art in Saudi Arabia is flourishing, as evidenced by its flamboyant arrival in the contemporary art world.
“Saudi artists frequently launch exhibitions abroad in which they aspire to transmit a message of love, peace and tolerance. Recently, inspired by the hectic glamour of an unprecedentedly rich and vibrant culture, they have forced their way into the 21st century’s global and multicultural art world, carrying with them the legacy of ‘Arabia’, the virgin land of heavenly beauty and boundless imagination.” Dr Abdulaziz Al-Sebail, Former Deputy Minister for Culture, Saudi Arabia
Above: Curators, Stephen Stapleton and Ahmed Mater with Dr Al-Sebail
