Nigel writes about his experience at an exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture – Ithra Centre in Dhrahan, Saudi Arabia.
During my visit to Saudi Arabia this year, I went to an exhibition of women artists (Horizon in Their Hands) in Dammam at the famous Ithra Centre. It was held at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Dhahran, until February 2026. This exhibition’s intention was to illustrate women’s contribution to art in the Arab world. It chose works from the 1960s to the 1980s, which was a time of great social and political change in the Middle East. The artists – some fifty of them – came from North Africa, the Levant and the Gulf. The pictures captured traditional, diverse and occasionally subversive modes of expression.
Among the ones on display, the one that touched me the most was this personal, nostalgic vision by Rima Mardam Bey. In the picture, we see a young mother in a bright dress holding out a hope for the future, her baby, on a rounded balcony railing. The baby confidently reaches out for something. Is it a sunrise or a sunset in the distance? We’re not sure – I think it is the sunrise. The horizon is bright. The edge of the balcony catches the light, as do the buildings below. The light suggests optimism and hope. The buildings below are modest; this is a place for you and me, a world of ordinary people, doing everyday things.
It is an opening scene – a path, a view. Perhaps a chance for a new beginning, an escape, an opportunity. Soft palm-like leaves gently welcome the viewer. The peaceful, wistful cooing of the mourning doves accompany the baby’s happy gurgles and movements. The birds are calm. The baby’s sister protectively holds a life in her hands – another dove. She wears a white blouse and long hair – symbols of purity, innocence and youth.
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The architecture – with its high ceiling, rounded column, and curved window above the open door – suggests that this is an older house. These elements suggest tradition, continuity and the cycle of life. Birth and death are forever with us; we are but part of the larger process of love with the struggle for meaning and purpose that we all confront. This painting’s subject is eternal; it is simple, profound and universal. We understand the experience. It is familiar. It captures a female perspective.
Six months ago, The Ironist put together a video of Travelling by Coach in Saudi Arabia (please see it here), and, at the time, we feared war was coming to the Middle East. Now, of course, the bombs and killings have hit the region hard as the media continues to report destruction and death. It is sad how the outlook for those who live there and for tourism has changed so drastically.
A woman’s perspective can be different from a man’s; in a way it highlights the poignant suffering of innocent victims. Such a view is all the more important considering the surfeit of political distortions that are broadcast daily.
Rima Mardam Bey is from Damascus in Syria, one of the many countries in the Middle East that has been carelessly tossed and broken by greed and other evils. She was only one of the artists exhibited, and many of them are self-taught as they were denied formal education. A common starting point was the traditional female crafts (such as weaving and embroidery) and they have taken their craft beyond those confines to include depictions of identity and cultural ‘reclamation.’ One such artist is Nadia Mohammed, whose tapestries revolve around a vision of hard-working and contented rural life with animals and plants included. She portrays a pleasantly busy bucolic and idyllic world in the picture. It is delightfully irreverent how large the palms are!
Mona Al-Munajjed, on the other hand, makes cityscapes with batik – and adds her whimsical touch to it. In the wax-dyed fabric above, flying sheep cross the heavens of Old Jeddah. The buildings themselves have shaded windows which are vanishing in the modern world of air conditioning. These windows are called mashrabiya, and the restricted window openings provided privacy to women, reduced glare inside the house, and provided cooling with evaporative water jars. It is incredibly hot in Jeddah. The heat has not changed, yet the artist seems to wish to comment on the displacement of the old ways. Not all good things come from change. Mona, a sociologist, is primarily known for promoting women’s roles in various aspects of life. Her recent artwork – as all great art does – illustrates how art can transcend mere design to promote deeper societal messages.
I found the exhibition refreshing. I liked the recurring subjects of family and peace in the exhibition. Before this, I knew nothing of contemporary Arabic women artists. My selection reflects my interests; others would probably choose different pieces. It is interesting which works we choose. As Jonathan Tepper states in Shooting Up, “we choose our books and paintings and they make us.” We choose what we seek. I hope you get an opportunity to see these pictures – or ones like them.
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Contributed by
Nigel Scotchmer
