Photo: Mark Luscombe Whyte
One of the most relevant collectors and art patrons in the Middle East, Basma AlSulaiman is a founding member of the Saudi Art Council, and the founder of BASMOCA (Basma AlSulaiman Museum of Contemporary Art), the world’s very first virtual museum. But while AlSulaiman’s eye for art continues to brighten the future of the Kingdom, it is the rich history of this land that inspires some of its most beautiful artworks. Keeping her love for Saudi artists in mind, Vogue Arabia reached out to the connoisseur on occasion of the Kingdom’s very first Founding Day, which takes place on February 22, to highlight five artworks that speak to Saudi Arabia’s history.
Shadia Alem, The Black Arch, 2011 / 2022
Photo: Courtesy the artist and Basma AlSulaiman
This monumental installation work – made from stainless steel, cast iron, fabric, and stone – was debuted in the inaugural Saudi pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2011 to international acclaim. It, therefore, represents a pivotal moment for the appreciation of Saudi art on a major global platform, and I remember feeling so proud that a piece of such magnitude and visual impact was presented by a Saudi artist. Shadia recently created a new iteration of the piece for the exhibition What Lies Within at Maraya in AlUla, incorporating site-specific audio and visual elements. She spent time in AlUla exploring its people, history, and landscape, imbuing the artwork with references to an ancient site steeped in the unique heritage of Saudi Arabia.
Manal AlDowayan, I Am Series, 2005
Photo: Courtesy the artist and Basma AlSulaiman
Through a striking, thirteen-piece series of assertive black and white portraits of highly skilled working women, AlDowayan addresses women’s historical contribution to the development of Saudi society. I feel these images really speak to the changes we are seeing in the Kingdom with regards to female empowerment. Since the time of their creation, there have been significant positive changes to women’s rights: in 2005, less than 3% of Saudi Arabian women were in formal employment. Today, 34% of the workforce are women. Nasser AlSalem, Hajj, 2011 Hajj is a meditative, minimalist work on canvas that I find incredibly beautiful and peaceful to look at. I was lucky to meet Nasser early in his career, and I immediately knew he was going to be something special. Hajj is a piece that I commissioned and we developed a collaborative relationship through the process of its creation – the artwork was actually finished in my house! Its central silk square is from the Kiswa – the cloth that covers the Ka’aba – whilst the repeated word ‘Hajj’ wraps around it, evoking the multiple cultural dimensions of spiritual pilgrimage. As an artist from Mecca, Nasser’s work is strongly influenced by the spirituality of the holy city, and through the Qur’an, he became drawn to calligraphy. Through his unique style and forms, he has been instrumental in establishing calligraphy as a major aspect of Saudi contemporary art, embracing and celebrating an important traditional skill.
Nasser AlSalem, Hajj, 2011
Hajj is a meditative, minimalist work on canvas that I find incredibly beautiful and peaceful to look at. I was lucky to meet Nasser early in his career, and I immediately knew he was going to be something special. Hajj is a piece which I commissioned and we developed a collaborative relationship through the process of its creation – the artwork was actually finished in my house! Its central silk square is from the Kiswa – the cloth that covers the Ka’aba – whilst the repeated word ‘Hajj’ wraps around it, evoking the multiple cultural dimensions of spiritual pilgrimage. As an artist from Mecca, Nasser’s work is strongly influenced by the spirituality of the holy city, and through the Qur’an, he became drawn to calligraphy. Through his unique style and forms, he has been instrumental in establishing calligraphy as a major aspect of Saudi contemporary art, embracing and celebrating an important traditional skill.
Ahmed Mater, Magnetism, 2009
Photo: Courtesy the artist and Basma AlSulaiman
The influence of Islam and Mecca are also central in the work of Ahmed Mater. Magnetism (2009) combines art, science, and the concept of religion and identity: iron filings radiate around a black cube, an emanation of attraction that evokes a congregation of pilgrims thronging the Ka’aba. Over the years, Ahmed has established himself as one of the Kingdom’s most influential contemporary artists, who investigates the collective memory, cultural changes, and social
structures of Saudi Arabia across varied media.
Sarah Brahim, Soft Machines / Far Away Engines, 2021
Photo: Courtesy the artist and Basma AlSulaiman
People often ask me which emerging artists I have my eye on, and at the moment, I am really struck by the work of Sarah Brahim. Soft Machines / Far Away Engines is a piece I saw recently at the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale which for me represents the very best of Saudi Arabia’s young, dynamic art scene right now and looking to the future. The performance explores the human body and how it transforms, communicates, and carries memory, through various motions and gestures.
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