Sculpture fans are in for a treat, because poetry is in motion across the city. We’re not exaggerating: the Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium is taking place with participating sculptors working to a brief that requests “poetry in motion”. No pressure, then – but at least visitors can rest assured the results will be spectacular.
The symposium is the work of Riyadh Art, Saudi Arabia’s first-ever national public art initiative, which is spearheading the Kingdom’s artistic renaissance in the commons. Riyadh Art has gathered a group of 20 creators, including both national and international artists.
After that, the works will venture out and beautify Riyadh’s public realms
ALEKSANDAR EFTIMOVSKI
North Macedonia
Aleksandar attended Macedonia’s National Art School from the age of 14, before his talents led him to a degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. He majors in stone and bronze, which is evident in his work that has been in The National Museum of Beijing, and in a solo exhibition Mo(nu)mental Ideas in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Aleksandar’s bold works utilise a range stone types that reflect his globetrotting tendencies, so we’re curious to see how he responds to the Middle East.
aleksandareftimovski.com
ALI ALJABRI
Oman
Ali hails from Sohar and is a major fan of marble, which has earned him quite a bit of attention: in 2013, he won the Iktissaa prize at Riyadh’s First Gulf Festival for Visual Arts, only a year after he decided to work predominantly with marble. Ali has had monuments installed in five countries and exhibited in Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and the UAE, as well as France, Spain, and Monaco. His striking work is characterised by bold, clean lines and grand, organic swoops.
Ali’s even been known to combine marble with the gnarled textures of decayed logs,
so we’re looking forward to seeing an inventive piece from him.
instagram.com/alieduart
CARLOS MONGE
Mexico
Given that he has been involved in more than 100 symposiums during the past 31 years, we’re going to safely assume that Carlos will know what he’s doing here. The common thread running through his work is the intersection where culture, ecology, and the economy meet. He’s particularly engaged by Middle Eastern art, too, noting that “the intersection between culture, history, tradition, religion, and society represented by Islamic and Arabic art is evident at the international level.” This combination of vast experience and a passion for the region should result in sculptural fireworks.
instagram.com/carlosr_monge
ISABEL H LANGTRY
United Kingdom
Isabel is the Principle at Hampstead School of Art in London. This job might sound like the most British occupation you’ve ever heard of – and you’d be right – but Isabel’s heritage is comparatively diverse. The artist was born in Nigeria, while her ethnicity is a combination of British and Galician. Her first exhibition was held at the Whitechapel Gallery, London.While her recent work has been colourful, naturalistic, and environmentally conscious, with a big focus on trees. Langtry has long been game for the challenge of site-specific commissions, so it will be interesting to see how her aesthetic is influenced by Riyadh’s diverse landscapes and ecology.
instagram.com/isabelhlangtry
RAJAA ALSHAFAE
Saudi Arabia
Rajaa has been exhibiting in the Kingdom for more than 20 years, which led to her first solo exhibition in 2018 at the Abdullah Al-Sheikh Hall in Dammam. Not only that, Rajaa also received a prize from the Ministry of Culture in 2015. Beyond Saudi Arabia, she has shown her work in Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Jordan, the UAE, and in the US. Her sculpture work combines intricate carving with lavishly interlaced shapes, so witnessing her craftsmanship should be a real treat. Instagram: @rajaa_alshafae.
instagram.com/rajaa_alshafae
WAFA ALQUNIBIT
Saudi Arabia
Known for working with organic materials at a large scale, Wafa’s sculptures are all about showcasing the majesty of the natural world in public spaces. Wafa is motivated by a desire to cross cultural divides through art, which is reflected in the fact that she’s exhibited at a real mix of places including the Saudi Embassy in London, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and at the Granite Room in Atlanta. Wafa studied in Oregon, so her appearance at the Tuwaiq Symposium is part of a long-held dream to return to Saudi Arabia and inspire the next generation of female artists.
instagram.com/wafaq_art
Free. Public display: December 7-10. JAX District, Al Diriyah, riyadhart.sa.
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