As part of the “China-Saudi Arabia Cultural Year,” the National Museum of China, in collaboration with the Museums Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, presents the exhibition Art of the Kingdom – Saudi Arabian Contemporary Art, on view from July 31.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia boasts a long history and a unique culture, which serve as the deep roots of its flourishing contemporary art scene. From a traditional reverence for and adaptation to nature, to the fusion of script and aesthetics in Arab art, and the ingenuity and wisdom embedded in traditional craftsmanship, these cultural elements flow like lifeblood, nourishing the creation of its contemporary Saudi art.
Contemporary art in Saudi Arabia is a flowing visual epic. From the rise of modernist painting in the 1950s to 1970s, to the flourishing of diverse media today—such as photography, video, installation, and mixed media painting—the evolution of materials tells a condensed history of civilization itself. Fine desert sand is sealed in resin, becoming amber of time; traditional Arabic calligraphy breaks free from the page and, within light-and-shadow installations, transforms into symbols that transcend time and space. These "materials" are never mere tools of creation. When imbued with thought and intention by the artist, pigment becomes a cipher of emotion, metal becomes the echo of history, and digital code becomes a bridge linking tradition to the future. Ultimately, these elements "illuminate" our understanding of the world and express our aspirations with poetic resonance.
This exhibition presents nearly 50 vibrant and carefully selected works of contemporary Saudi art across a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, and installation. Through the themes of "Desert" and "Cultural Traditions," the exhibition offers insight into the creative energy and rich cultural meanings behind Saudi art, opening a window into the Kingdom's contemporary artistic landscape
When the vastness of the desert meets the imprint of civilization in art, and when the roots of tradition intertwine with modem reflection, a visual dialogue that transcends space and time begins. Here and now, visitors are invited to enter the gallery together, listen to the questions posed by Saudi artists through their works, feel the symbolic power behind their chosen materials, and through the twin perspectives of desert and tradition, interpret a nation's past, present, and future-expressed in the universal language of art.