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Lulwah Al-Homoud is a Riyadh-born artist who currently resides in the United Kingdom. The Central Saint Martins graduate is renowned for her striking calligraphy art, which is currently on display at the London Design Biennale. The 51-year-old is the first Saudi Arabian woman to showcase her art work at the prestigious design fair, which is currently underway at London’s Somerset House from September 4 to 23. Only five Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, are participating in the 2018 London Design Biennale.
Drawing on this year’s theme of how design influences our emotions, Saudi’s installation “Being and Existence” is composed of Arabic letters that manifest into geometric patterns and shapes, which are then projected into the walls of a dimly lit room. The idea of the instillation is to explore the relationship between the effect that different forms of language have on the messages we communicate.
“My presence at the London Design Biennale is a great responsibility but is also a source of pride for me, because I am able to represent part of the Saudi creativity in a world-class event that highlights countries more than individuals,” Al-Homoud told art enthusiasts in the crowd, Al Arabiya reports. “We, as artists, are the product of the cultures of our countries.”
Having honed her skills under the expert eye of famous Pakistani calligrapher Rasheed Butt, Al-Homoud’s work has been showcased in exhibitions across the globe, including in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain, Beirut, China, Korea, New York City, Paris, Germany, and Switzerland. Additionally, in 2015, she presented her work in a solo exhibition at the Sharjah Calligraphy Museum.
The artist’s participation at the event is sponsored by Saudi initiative Ithra, which aims to spotlight homegrown culture, innovation, and talents.
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