DUBAI — “What happens to memories that have no stories?” the artist asks. “Do they get deleted? Do they just disappear?”
Author Archives: Adnan Z. Manjal
Adnan has been working in the art scene in Saudi Arabia for many years; he freelances for print and online publications. Most recently he co-wrote Contemporary Kingdom: The Saudi Art Scene Now (published by Canvas Central). He is also a house music fanatic and sneakerhead, tweets at @adnan_z_manjal and instagrams at @adnan_z_manjal.
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50 Years of Self-Representation in Saudi Women’s Art
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s relatively young history (the kingdom was established in 1932) is filled with gaps due to poor documentation and preservation efforts, especially when it comes to the many contributions of Saudi women.
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Keep Your Abaya Inside the Ride at All Times
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — In the Arab world, it’s not an easy task to voice an opinion that goes against the cultural norm. The average person would usually be shunned for doing so, often persecuted.
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The Story of One Saudi Sculptor Who Took a Chance and Made “Un-art”
As I sat down with Saudi artist and sculptor Saddek Wasil to talk about his latest solo exhibition and his upcoming first auction participation at Christie’s Dubai in October, he started by recounting his earliest memories of delving into the art world: “I used to work on my sculptures at the garage. And one of the workers told me that my father, who was not aware of my work at the time, used to ask them to bring one of my pieces to put up his feet and relax. Later on, I decided to participate in an exhibition in Kuwait and submitted this particular sculpture. And one day he asked for it, and the workers told him that Saddek took it. He asked, ‘what does Saddek want with this junk?!'”
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Kuwaiti Censors Shut Down Art Show Because of Complaints
KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait — On the evening of March 5, contemporary Kuwaiti artist Shurooq Amin opened her anticipated solo exhibition in Kuwait’s Al M. Gallery. A large crowd of people was in attendance, and many pieces were sold immediately after the doors opened at 8 pm. But by 10 pm local police ordered the exhibition closed and started questioning the artist and gallery owner on-site.
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Saudi Arabia Needs to Talk
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Contemporary art is not the first thing you might think about whenever Saudi Arabia is mentioned. But if you decide to look beyond the veil of political media and stereotypes you will be quite surprised at what you might discover.