Ahmed Mater: The Saudi artist documenting a kingdom in flux

Special 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

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.”


Stormzy’s ‘Free Palestine’ Instagram post was not deleted due to McDonald’s ad, sources tell British newspaper

Stormzy’s ‘Free Palestine’ Instagram post was not deleted due to McDonald’s ad, sources tell British newspaper
Updated 15 February 2025
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Stormzy’s ‘Free Palestine’ Instagram post was not deleted due to McDonald’s ad, sources tell British newspaper

Stormzy’s ‘Free Palestine’ Instagram post was not deleted due to McDonald’s ad, sources tell British newspaper

DUBAI: Sources close to British rapper Stormzy have said that the artist did not delete his previous Instagram post in support of Palestine due to last week’s advert with McDonald’s, according to Sky News.

Unnamed sources told the British news outlet that it “is simply not true” that the “archiving” of his Instagram post and the release of the McDonald's campaign are linked.

The initial Instagram post read: “1. Free Palestine. 2. In the future, if there is ever a clear injustice in the world no matter how big or small, 100 times out of 100 I will always be on the side of the oppressed. Unequivocally. As I always have been.”

According to Sky News, the deletion of the post was part of a “mass archiving effort” last year and not linked to his new advert, the sources said.

The 31-year-old grime artist from south London has come under fire for collaborating with McDonald’s, which has repeatedly been accused of supporting Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.

He launched the limited edition “Stormzy Meal” on Wednesday in the UK. In an advert, actors speaking in his voice order the new offering, consisting of nine chicken nuggets, fries, BBQ sauce, a Sprite drink and an Oreo McFlurry dessert.

McDonald’s has faced boycotts worldwide and been subjected to protests after it emerged that its Israel franchises gave thousands of free meals to members of the Israeli military and their relatives after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski previously condemned the boycotts as “disheartening and ill-founded,” saying they had harmed McDonald’s profits across the Middle East and elsewhere.

Franchise owners in Kuwait, Malaysia and Pakistan issued statements distancing themselves from the decision to hand out the free meals.

Fans responded to his McDonald’s collaboration critically, with one posting on social media that Stormzy is a “sellout.”

In an open letter to Stormzy, the UK-based  Peace and Justice Project  said his work with McDonald's is "hugely disappointing, especially given the musician's otherwise proud and solid record in supporting great causes and campaigns for social justice".

"We are therefore asking Stormzy to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their hour of need and respect the BDS committee's call for a global boycott of McDonald's by ending his new partnership with them," the group added. 

Kempczinski posted on LinkedIn in January 2024: “In every country where we operate, including in Muslim countries, McDonald’s is proudly represented by local owner-operators who work tirelessly to serve and support their communities while employing thousands of their fellow citizens.”

He added: “Our hearts remain with the communities and families impacted by the war in the Middle East. We abhor violence of any kind and firmly stand against hate speech, and we will always proudly open our doors to everyone.”


Andria Tayeh tapped by French haircare brand Kerastase as first Mideast brand ambassador

Andria Tayeh tapped by French haircare brand Kerastase as first Mideast brand ambassador
Updated 15 February 2025
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Andria Tayeh tapped by French haircare brand Kerastase as first Mideast brand ambassador

Andria Tayeh tapped by French haircare brand Kerastase as first Mideast brand ambassador

DUBAI: Lebanese Jordanian actress Andria Tayeh is the first Middle Eastern ambassador for French hair care brand Kerastase.

The 23-year-old actress took to Instagram to share the announcement on Friday, just over a week after she was named Italian luxury fashion house Giorgio Armani’s new Middle East beauty ambassador.

“Growing up, hair was always a big part of my identity, and now, representing a brand that celebrates hair in all its beauty feels surreal. Here’s to confidence, strength and great hair,” Tayeh captioned her latest post.

In the clip, she is seen in an all-white studio answering questions about why she is the ideal Kerastase ambassador. Tayeh speaks in a mixture of English, Arabic and French as she jokingly flips her hair for the camera and details her dedication to maintaining healthy hair.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Andria Tayeh (@andria_tayeh)

Known for her roles in Austrian filmmaker Kurdwin Ayub’s “Mond” and Netflix’s hit series “Al-Rawabi School for Girls,” Tayeh also took to Instagram in early February to celebrate her collaboration with Armani, writing: “I am thrilled and honored to embark on this new journey with Armani beauty.

 “This marks a real milestone for me, as the brand embodies values I have always cherished: timeless elegance, dramatic simplicity, and women empowerment,” she added. “Armani beauty reveals one’s charismatic personality in the most subtle and natural way. It’s this pure simplicity that creates an impact, and this is exactly what I hope to bring to the Arab cinema world.” 

The actress is the latest in a long line of regional stars who have been tapped by international luxury brands for brand ambassadorship roles.

French Algerian model Loli Bahia was tapped to be one of Yves Saint Laurent Beauty’s brand ambassadors in 2023, starring in a debut campaign for the brand alongside Chinese model Tao Ye.

In 2024, Lebanese British actress Razane Jammal was named Dior Beauty’s brand ambassador after being announced as the Middle East’s brand ambassador for Dior in October 2022.

Meanwhile, Spanish jewelry brand PDPAOLA named Saudi influencer Jory Almaiman a brand ambassador in late 2024, and Nancy Ajram became Tiffany & Co.'s first Arab brand ambassador the year before that.

 


Celebrity-loved Indian designer Manish Malhotra explores a new ‘globalized aesthetic’ at Dubai showcase

Celebrity-loved Indian designer Manish Malhotra explores a new ‘globalized aesthetic’ at Dubai showcase
Updated 15 February 2025
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Celebrity-loved Indian designer Manish Malhotra explores a new ‘globalized aesthetic’ at Dubai showcase

Celebrity-loved Indian designer Manish Malhotra explores a new ‘globalized aesthetic’ at Dubai showcase

DUBAI: Manish Malhotra is a name synonymous with opulence, craftsmanship and Bollywood glamour. As one of India’s most celebrated designers, Malhotra revolutionized South Asian couture and has dressed some of the biggest stars in the international entertainment industry.

From Bollywood royalty, including crossover star Priyanka Chopra, to Hollywood’s Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Anniston, Malhotra’s clothes have been seen on A-listers globally.

The designer closed out the latest edition of Dubai Fashion Week in February. (Supplied)

While his influence has extended outside India for some time now, Malhotra took it one step further by establishing a permanent foothold in the UAE. After opening his first international flagship store in Dubai in December 2023, he closed out the latest edition of Dubai Fashion Week in February.

Marking his first-ever international runway presentation, the lineup was everything loyal clients would expect and more. Titled “The World Collection: Dubai,” the clothes were a celebration of traditional Indian craftsmanship reinterpreted with global appeal.

His signature sequins adorned most of the clothes. (Supplied)

“I wanted to explore a more globalized aesthetic while staying true to the essence of Indian couture,” Malhotra told Arab News. “The silhouettes are bold yet effortless, tailored yet free flowing, designed to complement the modern woman’s dynamic lifestyle.”

His signature sequins adorned most of the clothes, and a metallic silver gown and a rainbow-colored gown with a fabric draping the model’s head stood out. Elsewhere, suits dominated the runway – but not the corporate kinds – more couture-esque with fluid cuts making them comfortable to move around in. The suits came with exquisite pearl embellishments, a nod to the region’s pearl diving heritage. Others were sequinned from head to toe, an ode to maximalism. “Suits, for me, have always been a powerful expression of confidence and individuality. With this collection, I wanted to explore tailoring in a way that felt both bold and glamorous while staying true to the essence of craftsmanship,” he explained.

Malhotra’s kaftans and abaya-like silhouettes were elegant and versatile. (Supplied)

Handwoven brocade came in the form of structured, button-down blazers with matching voluminous midi skirts, further spotlighting the craftsmanship Malhotra is known for. “I worked with master craftsmen to create handwoven brocades, intricate pearl embellishments and signature sequins, but the silhouettes were envisioned with an international sensibility.”

Suits dominated the runway – but not the corporate kinds, more couture-esque. (Supplied)

With sahoor and iftar gatherings just around the corner, Malhotra’s kaftans and abaya-like silhouettes were elegant and versatile. “This collection reflects a shift toward a more universal language of fashion – where heritage meets innovation, and tradition finds expression in modern, statement-making forms,” he said.


Pakistani actors Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed share photos from Grand Mosque after nikkah in Makkah

Pakistani actors Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed share photos from Grand Mosque after nikkah in Makkah
Updated 14 February 2025
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Pakistani actors Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed share photos from Grand Mosque after nikkah in Makkah

Pakistani actors Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed share photos from Grand Mosque after nikkah in Makkah
  • Khan and Rasheed remain among the most recognized faces in Pakistan’s entertainment industry
  • One of the images on social media shows them in the attire worn by pilgrims performing Umrah

KARACHI: Pakistani actors Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed announced their wedding on Friday, sharing photos on Instagram taken at the Grand Mosque in Makkah with the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at the center of Islam’s most sacred mosque, in the background.
Khan and Rasheed remain among the most recognized faces in Pakistan’s entertainment industry. With their marriage now public, fans and colleagues have flooded social media with congratulatory messages, celebrating their union.
Arab News attempted to contact both actors for further comments but did not receive a response. Most of their friends also refrained from speaking on the matter, though some confirmed that the nikkah, the Islamic marriage contract requiring mutual consent, took place in the Grand Mosque earlier this week on February 12.
“Under the Kursi [throne] of Allah… 70 thousand angels as witnesses and Rehmat [mercy] pouring down on us like rain… Qubool hai,” the two actors said in a joint Instagram post, referencing the belief in divine presence and blessings during their marriage and mentioning their acceptance of the bond in the last two words.
The images with the post showed the couple in the white attire worn by pilgrims performing Umrah, including a close-up of their hands placed on the Kaaba with wedding rings and another of them smiling at each other against the sacred black cube.

This photo, jointly posted by the couple on their respective official Instagram accounts on February 14, 2025, shows a close-up of their hands placed on the Kaaba with wedding rings, announcing their marriage on February 12, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. (Photo courtesy: Instagram/@thekubism/@mirzagoharrasheed)

The Grand Mosque is considered the most sacred site in Islam, where millions of Muslims gather to perform Hajj and Umrah each year.
Kubra Khan, born Rabia Iqbal Khan, is a British-Pakistani actor known for her roles in popular television dramas such as “Sang-e-Mar Mar,” “Alif” and “Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay,” as well as films like “Na Maloom Afraad” and “Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2.”
Gohar Rasheed has built a reputation with performances in “Mann Mayal,” “Ishqiya” and “The Legend of Maula Jatt.” The two actors have been close friends for years and co-starred in the drama “Jannat Se Aagay,” fueling long-standing speculation about their relationship.


British rapper Stormzy criticized for McDonald’s collaboration

British rapper Stormzy criticized for McDonald’s collaboration
Updated 14 February 2025
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British rapper Stormzy criticized for McDonald’s collaboration

British rapper Stormzy criticized for McDonald’s collaboration
  • Chain has faced global boycotts over perceived support for Israeli military with free meals
  • Stormzy launched new meal in UK after deleting pro-Palestine social media post

LONDON: British rapper Stormzy has come under fire for collaborating with McDonald’s, which has repeatedly been accused of supporting Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.

He launched the limited edition “Stormzy Meal” on Wednesday in the UK. In an advert, actors speaking in his voice order the new offering, consisting of nine chicken nuggets, fries, BBQ sauce, a Sprite drink and an Oreo McFlurry dessert.

McDonald’s has faced boycotts worldwide and been subjected to protests after it emerged that its Israel franchises gave thousands of free meals to members of the Israeli military and their relatives after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

At the time, CEO Chris Kempczinski condemned the boycotts as “disheartening and ill-founded,” saying they had harmed McDonald’s profits across the Middle East and elsewhere.

Franchise owners in Kuwait, Malaysia and Pakistan issued statements distancing themselves from the decision to hand out the free meals.

Stormzy previously published then deleted an Instagram post in support of the Palestinian cause.

He initially posted: “1. Free Palestine. 2. In the future, if there is ever a clear injustice in the world no matter how big or small, 100 times out of 100 I will always be on the side of the oppressed. Unequivocally. As I always have been.”

Fans responded to his McDonald’s collaboration critically, with one posting on social media that Stormzy is a “sellout,” and another asking: “Why delete your pro-Palestine posts?!”

McDonald’s said in 2023 that it was not responsible for the actions or promotions of individual franchises worldwide.

Kempczinski posted on LinkedIn in January 2024: “In every country where we operate, including in Muslim countries, McDonald’s is proudly represented by local owner-operators who work tirelessly to serve and support their communities while employing thousands of their fellow citizens.”

He added: “Our hearts remain with the communities and families impacted by the war in the Middle East. We abhor violence of any kind and firmly stand against hate speech, and we will always proudly open our doors to everyone.”