Ahmed Mater: The Saudi artist documenting a kingdom in flux

Ahmed Mater at the opening of ‘Chronicles.’ (AN photo)
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Updated 18 July 2024
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Ahmed Mater: The Saudi artist documenting a kingdom in flux

  • Christie’s London is hosting ‘Ahmed Mater: Chronicles,’ a retrospective collection of his work, until Aug. 22
  • The exhibition highlights major milestones of the physician-turned-artist’s career

LONDON: Using metal filings, X-rays adorned with calligraphy, and a grandiose mihrab transformed into a body scanner, leading Saudi artist Ahmed Mater is documenting a kingdom undergoing a swift process of change.

Born in Tabuk in 1979, Mater grew up in Abha in southwestern Saudi Arabia, close to the militarized Yemeni border, at a time of immense social change in the region.

The first presentation of his art outside the Kingdom came in 2005 at an exhibition hosted by the British Museum in London. Just over a decade later, he became the first artist to host a solo exhibition in the US, with “Symbolic Cities: The Work of Ahmed Mater” in 2016.

Now, the 44-year-old has returned to England with the exhibition “Ahmed Mater: Chronicles,” hosted by Christie’s London until Aug. 22. The mid-career retrospective collection features more than 100 of his works, and promises to highlight the major milestones of his career.




Ahmed Mater at the opening of ‘Chronicles.’ (AN photo)

“It’s very amazing and extraordinary for me to be back and connect again with the audience here in London after 2005, and now, maybe, with more artwork to share and 20 years of experimental work,” Mater told Arab News on the exhibition’s opening day.

“So, it’s something that, really, I want the audience to share all of this — the experiment and the time and sharing all of this journey together.”

Despite being heavily influenced by his mother’s work as an Asiri calligrapher and painter, and art being the “passion and DNA” of his childhood, Mater began his professional life working in medicine.




Mater first encountered city life as a teenager in Abha. (AN photo) 

“At that time, there was no … you have to do something, especially in Saudi Arabia, there was no school of art,” he said.

“So, medicine was very close to me. I studied a more human science; that’s very close to me.”

Despite “building a lot of things and experiences” during his work as a physician, Mater returned to his roots in art “because it became the only voice that I could continue with.”




The artist began experimenting with X-rays during his medical studies. (AN photo)

The physician-turned-artist described the difference between his two careers as one of “subjectivity versus objectivity.”

Mater’s oeuvre, from the satirical to the striking, details the changes, big and small, in a kingdom undergoing unprecedented social, religious and economic transformation.

“I think it’s a kind of synergistic study of all of the artwork together,” he said. “When you are an artist, you are also a philosopher, you are a thinker, and all of these events together shape our generation at a time, our societies.

“I was really fascinated by studying a community — about urban change surrounding me. Maybe I take this from medicine, maybe I take it from the art, or maybe I take it from my transition from the village to the city.”

In the photograph “Hajj Season” (2015), which is part of his “Desert of Pharan” collection documenting change in Makkah, masses of pilgrims wait patiently in a gated courtyard. Behind them, KFC and Burger King restaurants can be seen.

“Stand in the Pathway and See” (2012) shows a narrow alleyway bisecting dilapidated buildings, part of an old settlement that was soon to be demolished to make way for new hotels. A young boy sits in the shadows amid the waste and graffiti. The alley appears to be illuminated by the fierce glow of Makkah’s Clock Tower, which looms ominously, or as a figurative light at the end of the tunnel, over the old city.

The dual meaning of the photograph is a hallmark of Mater’s work. In “Nature Morte” (2012) and “Room With a View ($3,000/night)” (2012), Mater again reveals some of the peculiarities of Makkah’s transformation through simple photographs.




Left to right: ‘Nature Morte,’ ‘Stand in the Pathway and See’ and ‘Room With a View ($3,000/night).’ (AN photo)

In both, the Kaaba and masses of pilgrims are seen at a low angle through the windows of a luxury hotel room, replete with a bowl of decorative fruit and cable TV. Viewers will inevitably be divided in their reaction.

Mater’s status as a passive spectator taking the photographs reinforces his self-described role as a documenter of change, and is part of the subtlety that typifies much of his work.

For other pieces he takes a more direct approach, however. Viewers are met with loud beeping and flashing red lights in his simple but ingenious “Boundary” (2024), for example. The artist combines a mihrab, a prayer niche from the interior of a mosque, with a body scanner; the result is a striking summation of modern-day security fears and the commercialization of religion.




Viewers should expect a surprise with Mater’s modern mihrab. (AN photo)

Many of Mater’s works explore the theme of the individual sublimating to the group, which emerges as a distinct entity. This is epitomized in “Magnetism IV” (2012), a diminutive model of the Kaaba surrounded by perfectly arranged iron filings, representing a swirling mass of pilgrims.




The artist depicts the magnetism of Islam’s holiest site. (AN photo)

To create a similar effect in a photograph, Mater used a long exposure to capture the Kaaba at the height of Hajj in “Tawaf” (2013), an image in which the resulting movement of pilgrims resembles a hurricane around the holiest site in Islam.

The artist admits that the theme might be an unconscious effect of his Islamic upbringing.




A selection from Mater’s ‘Magnetism’ series. (AN photo)

“I think it’s something that is unconsciously done by an artist in their practices,” he said. “You know, sometimes I didn’t pay full attention but after I did my artwork, I noticed. I noticed these kind of things. But maybe spirituality has this feeling.

“So, I come from a religious background and this has, maybe, shaped a lot of my understanding. It’s given me a lot of imagination. You know, religion is part of this big imagination.”




Long exposure creates a hurricane effect at the height of Hajj. (AN photo)

For Mater, 1938 might have been the most important year in the Kingdom’s history. Oil was struck on March 3 that year at the Dammam No. 7 well, and the liquid gold that began to flow would soon begin to finance the Kingdom’s transformation.

Again juxtaposing old and new, traditional and modern, in “Lightning Land” (2017) the artist captures a stunning shot of lightning arcing toward the ground, with a disused Bedouin tent in the foreground and oil machinery in the background.




Mater’s ‘Lightning Land’ highlights the tensions between old and new in Saudi Arabia. (AN photo)

“Evolution of Man” (1979) is Mater’s most morbid work. A horizontal collage begins with a front-on X-ray shot of a man holding a gun to his own head. The next shots morph as a square shape begins to form. The final image is a gas pump, with the nozzle resembling the gun featured in the first image.

The former physician’s prognosis of the Kingdom’s arts scene takes a more positive path, however. Mater believes that cooperation between the public and private sectors is the key to further unleashing Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning cultural industries.

A “big, big awakening of art and culture” is taking place in the Kingdom, he said. Mater himself is part of this public-private synthesis, and one of five leading artists commissioned by Wadi AlFann (Valley of the Arts) in AlUla to produce a large-scale installation in the desert sands.

The result is Ashab Al-Lal, a mighty but unintrusive oculus that will harness light refraction, in a homage to the scientists of the Islamic golden age. Wadi AlFann will start welcoming visitors in 2025.




A model of Mater’s Ashab Al-Lal installation was unveiled at Christie’s. (AN photo) 

“I think now it’s a very optimistic generation; there is a lot of movement,” Mater said.

“So, it’s from both the private body and the public body, together shaping a new future. That’s what I’ve noticed today.”


Directors show solidarity with Palestinians during Venice Film Festival speeches

Updated 08 September 2024
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Directors show solidarity with Palestinians during Venice Film Festival speeches

DUBAI: The final ceremony of the Venice Film Festival on Saturday saw multiple winners use their acceptance speeches to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemn Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

“As a Jewish American artist working in a time-based medium, I must note, I’m accepting this award on the 336th day of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and 76th year of occupation,” said US director Sarah Friedland as she accepted the Luigi de Laurentiis prize for best first film for “Familiar Touch.”

“I believe it is our responsibility as filmmakers to use the institutional platforms through which we work to redress Israel’s impunity on the global stage. I stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle for liberation,” she continued.

Kathleen Chalfant, Orizzonti Award for Best Actress winner, and Sarah Friedland (R), Lion of the Future – "Luigi De Laurentiis" Venice Award for a Debut Film and the Orizzonti Best Director award winner, pose during a photocall. (AFP) 

The director’s comments were met with strong applause, Deadline reported. Her speech comes amid Israel’s 10-month military campaign in Gaza in which more than 40,000 Palestinians, including more than 16, 000 children, have been killed. The current conflict was sparked by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,139 were killed, including 36 children.

Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti accepted the best screenplay prize in the Horizons section for his films “Happy Holidays.”

“I stand here deeply honored, yet profoundly affected by the difficult times we’re living through over the past 11 months, our shared humanity and moral compass have been tested as we witness the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” he said on stage.

“This painful reality reminds us of the devastating consequences of oppression, which is a theme in our film. Our film looks at how moral narratives can bring us together as communities, but also blind us to the suffering of others.”

Meanwhile, “The Room Next Door,” Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, topped the Venice Film Festival and was awarded its Golden Lion award.

 


‘Colonizer to colonized’: Pakistani photographer travels from London to Quetta ‘without flying’

Updated 08 September 2024
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‘Colonizer to colonized’: Pakistani photographer travels from London to Quetta ‘without flying’

  • Danial Shah’s 58-day-journey brought him home to Quetta via trains, ferries, buses and taxis at a cost of $2,509
  • Historic Quetta-London Road was once a popular route for international tourists and considered a ‘gateway’ to Europe

QUETTA: Earlier this year, Danial Shah, a Pakistani photographer and filmmaker currently pursuing a doctorate in visual and performing arts in Brussels, got an idea: to travel from the land of the colonizer, Britain, which had ruled the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947, to the land that was colonized, present day Pakistan — but without flying.

Thus began a journey that took him from London to the southwestern Pakistani town of Quetta, the city of his birth, via trains, ferries, buses and taxis at a cost of $2,509.

“I wanted to start my journey from London, the reason is that Britain ruled our country for a long time, colonized us and it is Britain that gives us [Pakistanis] visas with great difficulty,” Shah, a 35-year-old documentary filmmaker and photographer, told Arab News in an interview in Quetta.

Pakistani photographer and backpacker Danial Shah, who travelled from London to Quetta in 58 days via trains, ferries, buses and taxis, uses his phone in a street in Quetta on September 3, 2024, during an interview with Arab News. (AN Photo)

“So I thought if I get a visa, I will start my journey from the place where the colonizer lives and reach the place which they colonized.”

Spending his early childhood in Quetta, Shah was always thrilled by the stories of foreign travelers who frequented the area and often arrived using what was dubbed the historic Quetta-London Road, once a popular route for international tourists and considered a ‘gateway’ to Europe.

“I often used to see foreigners here and when you asked someone their story, they would say, ‘We have come from Germany, from London, traveling through Turkiye and Iran’,” Shah said. “So, when I found time, I thought I should go on this journey also.”

This map, shared by Pakistani photographer and backpacker Danial Shah, shows his journey from London to Quetta. Shah’s 58-day-journey brought him home to Quetta via trains, ferries, buses and taxis at a cost of $2,509. (Photo courtesy: Danial Sheikh)

Frequent public commuting through the Quetta-London route, stretching over thousands of miles, began after the end of World War I and people even used it to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, according to Dr. Irfan Ahmed Baig, a Quetta-based historian and author of the Urdu-language book ‘Quetta My City.’ European tourists choose the route to enter Turkiye via Greece and continued onwards to the Middle East and Asia. The route was diverted to Central Asia from Afghanistan, from where to leads to India and Bangladesh via Pakistan.

“A Quetta-London bound bus service was started in the 1950 but it was suspended due to unknown reasons,” Baig told Arab News. “During the Soviet Union’s incursion on Afghanistan, tourist movement through this route declined due to security reasons.”

Shah’s journey through a stretch of the route also did not come without difficulty as he faced strict border security checks on account of holding a Pakistani passport, considered one of the weakest travel documents according to global rankings, and amid fears about human smuggling and illegal migration.

This photo, posted on August 11, 2024 on Instagram, shows Pakistani photographer and backpacker Danial Shah, who travelled from London to Quetta in 58 days via trains, ferries, buses and taxis, at the Albania Museum in Tirana, Albania. (Photo courtesy: Danial Shah)

“At various border crossing points, I was the only one off-boarded from buses and questioned by border security forces,” he said.

But he powered on and the journey that began in London on July 3 took him through Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East, to Pakistan’s Balochistan province on August 21.

“From London, I traveled to France. From France, I went to Italy, where I took a boat to Croatia. From Croatia, I went to Serbia, Serbia to Bosnia, and from Bosnia to Montenegro, Albania,” the University of Antwerp student said.

“From Albania, I entered Greece. Then I took a boat from Greece to Turkiye and from Turkiye I took a bus to Iran. From Iran I traveled through buses and taxis and reached Pakistan.”

He said he was grateful for the people he met along the way and the hospitality and warmth he was offered.

“I enjoyed Bosnia the most, followed by Albania, and then Turkiye and Iran, because their manner of hospitality is similar to our Quetta,” Shah said.

His next plan is to save up for journeys to ever new countries and cultures.

This photo, posted on August 22, 2024 on Instagram, shows Pakistani photographer and backpacker Danial Shah, who travelled from London to Quetta in 58 days via trains, ferries, buses and taxis, in Iran. (Photo courtesy: Danial Shah)

“I wish to plan a year-long journey after saving some money to see more countries and additional stay,” Shah said, “because I met many people who were on the same route but traveling to Central Asia via Iran and Afghanistan to Vietnam.”


Roberto Cavalli closes Dubai Fashion Week with bold animal prints, vibrant hues

Updated 07 September 2024
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Roberto Cavalli closes Dubai Fashion Week with bold animal prints, vibrant hues

DUBAI: The Italian luxury label Roberto Cavalli closed out Dubai Fashion Week this week with a presentation of its spring/summer 2025 collection, marking the brand’s first showcase in the Middle East.

Models descended onto the runway against a backdrop featuring the brand’s signature golden emblem. The runway was framed by a textured wall, with lighting that emphasized the collection.

The show kicked off with a powerful display of bold black-and-white printed outfits, featuring eye-catching patterns reminiscent of animal motifs, setting the stage for what was to come.

(Supplied)

The models strutted down the runway in long, structured coats and tailored suits, complemented by wide-brimmed hats and high boots.

Sleek tailored suits, glamorous mini-dresses, and flowing gowns reflected a mix of modern sophistication and bold statement pieces.

As the collection progressed, the color palette began to shift from monochromatic tones to vibrant hues, starting with a bold introduction of bright greens. Flowing pleated dresses and figure-hugging designs in various shades of green took center stage.

 (Instagram)

The green hues were followed by striking pinks and deep reds, with rose patterns adorning halter-neck dresses and flowing gowns.

In addition to the vivid colors, the collection featured a variety of textures. A standout piece was a fuchsia snake-patterned suit. Pleated fabrics added movement, while corset-style dresses highlighted structure and femininity. Flowing silks and airy satins further contributed to the collection’s dynamic mix.

(Supplied)

The show was attended by several celebrities and influencers, including “Dubai Bling” star Loujain Adada, Egyptian actress and model Enjy Kiwan, reality TV sisters Nadine and Farah Abdel Aziz, Tunisian model Ameni Esseibi, Emirati actress and TV presenter Mahira Abdel Aziz, Saudi designer and fashion influencer Tamaraah Al-Gabaani, Iraqi fashion blogger Deema Al-Asadi, and Egyptian style star Soha Taha.

The show concluded with Fausto Puglisi, the brand’s new creative director, stepping out to thank the audience.

Founded by the late Roberto Cavalli in the 1970s, the brand quickly became synonymous with Italian luxury and glamor. Roberto Cavalli has long been a staple on international runways and red carpets, and is known for its bold use of tropical patterns and animal prints.


Saudi-supported ‘Front Row’ screens in Toronto

Updated 07 September 2024
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Saudi-supported ‘Front Row’ screens in Toronto

DUBAI: Algerian filmmaker Merzak Allouche’s family dramedy “Front Row,” supported by the Red Sea Fund, screened this week at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival.

Allouche’s 19th feature tells the story of two matriarchs, Zohra Bouderbala and Safia Kadouri, who find themselves in conflict during a day at the beach. Zohra, accompanied by her five children, arrives early to secure a desirable spot, but tension arises when the Kadouri family is placed directly in front of them by a beach attendant.

As the two families engage in a passive-aggressive battle, teenage romance quietly unfolds in the background, adding to the drama.

The film stars Fatiha Ouared as Bouderbala, Bouchra Roy as Kadouri, and Nabil Asli as Hakim, the beach attendant.


Born in Exile unveils ‘nostalgic love letter’ to Libya at Dubai Fashion Week

Updated 07 September 2024
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Born in Exile unveils ‘nostalgic love letter’ to Libya at Dubai Fashion Week

DUBAI: Fashion label Born in Exile, led by designer Ibrahim Shebani, showcased its latest collection at Dubai Fashion Week in the form of a “nostalgic love letter” to Libya.

Shebani is keen to pay homage to Libya’s culture and heritage through his collections with one of the few high fashion brands to emerge from the country.

“We go back to our traditional dress code. We revamp it (and) we make modern clothing that is inspired from our traditional clothing,” he said before touching on the country’s turbulent recent history.

“Also the geopolitical situation influences our work … In 2014, when the civil war broke out in Libya, we had a beautiful monument in the center of (Tripoli), which was a bronze statue. It was stolen. We had some extremist militias in the city, and they stole it and destroyed it,” Shebani said, referring to an incident in November 2014 in which militants were suspected of removing the statue of a naked woman petting a gazelle.

“That was very heartbreaking to everyone that lived there or was from that city, and that inspired the collection. I think what we really want to say with this collection is that you might take away things, you might destroy some things, but it’s very, very difficult to wipe out the history of a nation.

“So the collection … is really a nostalgic love letter to a place where I lived for 10 years,” he said.

(Supplied)

Shebani was born in Germany and grew up in Egypt and Libya, before relocating to Tunisia, where he currently runs his brand.

The designer praised Tunisia’s homegrown production capabilities, and lamented the common practice of high-end European labels manufacturing leather goods there before placing a “Made in Europe” tag on the product.

“For every single brand you can think of, the bags factories (in Tunisia) produce (the goods). If you do one step in Italy, which is as little as fixing a button on a shirt, you can say it’s made in Italy,” he said, emphasizing the importance of educating potential customers on the realities of where and how luxury goods are made.

“Also, I think one of the biggest problems we have in the region is that the buyers are not very familiar with the regional brands,” Shebani added.

“It’s so much easier just to go to Europe because it’s a nice experience to be in Milan or in Paris,” he said.

Shebani believes the key to unlocking a brighter future for regional designers is to strengthen fashion infrastructure in the region involving all the key players — “it’s designers, plus clients, plus buyers, plus press, there has to be more of us in the region.”