Saudi artist Abdullah Al-Othman discusses work exploring linguistic architectural landscapes

Saudi artist Abdullah Al-Othman discusses work exploring linguistic architectural landscapes
Abdullah Al-Othman is a Saudi artist. (Supplied)
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Updated 07 June 2025
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Saudi artist Abdullah Al-Othman discusses work exploring linguistic architectural landscapes

Saudi artist Abdullah Al-Othman discusses work exploring linguistic architectural landscapes

DUBAI: In the Bawwaba section of the most recent edition of Art Dubai, Saudi artist Abdullah Al-Othman’s installation “Manifesto: Language & the City II” presented photographs and numerous illuminated signs and symbols in Arabic against two black walls, reflecting the urban signage one may find in Riyadh.  

The installation was an evolution of a series that includes 2021’s “Manifesto: the Language and the City,” a multimedia installation exploring the linguistic and architectural landscape of Riyadh for the inaugural Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, which went on to be included in the Lyon Biennale in 2022, and “Fantasy Land,” which Al-Othman created for the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival in 2021 — a neon wall installation exploring themes of human experience and the shifts between reality and illusion. 




Abdullah Al-Othman’s installation “Manifesto: Language & the City II” presented photographs and numerous illuminated signs and symbols in Arabic. (Supplied)

“Language & the City II” pulsed with light and color and the expressive characters of the Arabic language made the viewer feel as if they were indeed on a bustling street in the Saudi capital. “Language is akin to history — it’s very deep,” Al-Othman tells Arab News. “Through my research I realized how language is like a brand for a culture — it references history and people. I study the language that we find in cities. The documentation of language affects the architectural style in an urban environment and the relationship between people and their environment.”  

“Language & the City II” was made from a variety of materials, predominantly neon signage, lightboxes and wooden advertising signs that were once hung in the streets of Riyadh. Al-Othman’s installation brought them together to create a portrait of the city through its typographic, visual and architectural styles. 

Riyadh’s identity, explains Al-Othman, is revealed through the language, style and vibrant colors of these lit symbols, offering a collective memory of a city in the throes of change. 




Abdullah Al Othman at Art Dubai Manifesto Language and the City II for Bawwaba. (Courtesy Artist and Iris Projects. Credit Ismail Noor for Seeing Things)

As an artist and a poet, language has always played an important role in Al-Othman’s life. While he began as a writer, he arrived at a point where he could no longer fully express himself with words and turned to art, creating works that incorporate sound, found objects, sculpture, film and performance.  

In 2017’s “Suspended Al-Balad,” for the 21,39, contemporary art festival, Al-Othman wrapped an entire building in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district, originally used as a shelter for widows and divorced women, with tin foil.  

Al Othman’s intuitive approach to art creation leads him to organically move between and incorporate different mediums. Light is a significant element in his work, whether bouncing off tin foil or shining in neon to reflect the everyday urban environment of Riyadh.  




Pieces from Al-Othman's latest project, 'Engineering the Unknown.' (Supplied)

“I want to create journeys for people to discover the importance of language,” says Al-Othman. “Language is a deeply important part of being human.” 

Today Al-Othman continues to expand his research and art creation. He has recently published a book on his research supported by The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) and the Saudi Cultural Development Fund.  

Presently he is creating sculptures out of various Arabic words from made from different materials for his latest project, “Engineering the Incomplete.” 

“In my artistic practice, I engage with language as an open field for analysis and reconstruction,” he writes in his statement for the new project. “I begin from moments of absence — from missing letters and fractured words — treating them as signals of the fragility inherent in the symbolic systems we rely on to make sense of the world.  




Al-Othman's 'Manifesto - The Language & The City' at the 2022 Lyon Biennale. (Supplied)

“Failure to achieve perfection becomes an essential part of creation, not a flaw to be corrected,” he continues. “Incompleteness is not simply a void, but an active component that generates new, open-ended meanings. Each missing letter, each visual gap, forms an alternative path of reading and invites the viewer to reshape their relationship with language and the urban environment.” 

“Engineering the Incomplete” uses the structure of the letter as an entity capable of both disintegration and destruction and therefore the resulting text as something that is unstable and constantly changing.  

“My practice transforms language from a tool of communication into a material and temporal organism caught in the tension between structure and collapse,” Al-Othman adds. “Through material techniques that draw from urban elements and the reconfiguration of textual spaces, my work seeks to highlight the continuous tension between the desire for expression and the inherent limits of linguistic possibilities.” 

Al-Othman says that “Engineering the Incomplete” is not an attempt to restore what is lost, but an invitation to read absence, or lacking, as another form of presence and a new beginning. 

Incompleteness, he emphasizes, offers “a way to produce new meaning and vision.” 


Fashion Commission launches guide to protect designers’ rights in Kingdom

Fashion Commission launches guide to protect designers’ rights in Kingdom
Updated 09 July 2025
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Fashion Commission launches guide to protect designers’ rights in Kingdom

Fashion Commission launches guide to protect designers’ rights in Kingdom
  • Guide serves as a reference for designers to benefit from intellectual property laws by protecting and registering their innovative designs
  • Promotes a culture of creativity, encouraging designers to develop new creations while safeguarding their rights against imitation or theft

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Fashion Commission has launched the Intellectual Property and Designers’ Rights Protection Guide for the fashion industry, in collaboration with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property.

The initiative reinforces the commission’s role in empowering the fashion sector, supporting its community and fostering a developmental environment across all stages of the product value chain.

The guide serves as a reference for designers to benefit from intellectual property laws by protecting and registering their innovative designs, enabling them to secure legal protection, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It also promotes a culture of creativity, encouraging designers to develop new creations while safeguarding their rights against imitation or theft.

The guide covers four key areas in the fashion industry: Patents, which include new inventions and technological advancements in fabric and garment production; and industrial designs, which pertain to aesthetic elements and decorative patterns that give fashion items their distinctive appearance.

It also covers copyright, which protects artistic and creative outputs such as illustrations, patterns and designs; and trademarks, which include logos and symbols that distinguish a product in the marketplace.

The Fashion Commission said that designers and brand owners can access the guide through its official website.

Additionally, the IP authority receives complaints about violations of copyright and trademark laws from rights holders or their representatives through its website.


Jeddah museum displays 1,000 rare artifacts spanning Islamic history

Jeddah museum displays 1,000 rare artifacts spanning Islamic history
Updated 09 July 2025
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Jeddah museum displays 1,000 rare artifacts spanning Islamic history

Jeddah museum displays 1,000 rare artifacts spanning Islamic history
  • First gallery traces the evolution of ceramics and glassmaking from the 1st to the 10th century AH (7th to 16th century)
  • Second gallery highlights Islamic metalworks featuring intricately decorated items and daily-use vessels

JEDDAH: The House of Islamic Arts, the Kingdom’s first museum solely for Islamic art, houses a collection that spans several eras of Islamic civilization.

Located in Jeddah Park, the museum displays over 1,000 artifacts offering insight into Islamic values and the region’s cultural and historical heritage, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The museum includes six galleries, each exploring a distinct facet of Islamic heritage.

The first gallery traces the evolution of ceramics and glassmaking from the 1st to the 10th century AH (7th to 16th century), showcasing pottery, a craft in antiquity that saw major development under Muslim artisans.

The second gallery highlights Islamic metalworks featuring intricately decorated items and daily-use vessels.

The third displays 500 coins from the Prophet Muhammad’s era to modern times, offering a glimpse into the economic history of the Muslim world.

The fourth gallery focuses on the influence of Islamic art on other civilizations and how European cultures engaged with Islamic artistic traditions.

The fifth presents rare Qur’anic manuscripts, Arabic calligraphy pieces and wooden tablets used in Qur’an memorization.

The final gallery showcases Islamic textiles, including pieces from the interior and exterior coverings of the Holy Kaaba and a rare curtain from the Shammi Gate of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, crafted during the Ottoman era in the 13th century AH.

The museum tour ends at the library, which offers a wide selection of Arabic and English books on Islamic history, culture, and literature.


Red Sea-backed films set to shine at 2025 Locarno Film Festival

Red Sea-backed films set to shine at 2025 Locarno Film Festival
Updated 09 July 2025
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Red Sea-backed films set to shine at 2025 Locarno Film Festival

Red Sea-backed films set to shine at 2025 Locarno Film Festival

DUBAI: Three films supported by the Red Sea Film Foundation will feature at this year’s Locarno Film Festival, which takes place in Switzerland from Aug. 6-16.

Among the 2025 lineup are “Irkalla – Gilgamesh’s Dream” by Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji, “Becoming” by Kazakh director Zhannat Alshanova, and “Exile” from Tunisian filmmaker Mehdi Hmili.

Each was backed by the foundation through either the Red Sea Fund or the Red Sea Souk, two initiatives designed to champion bold new voices from the Arab world and beyond.

“Irkalla – Gilgamesh’s Dream” offers a reimagining of the Epic of Gilgamesh set against a haunting contemporary backdrop. The film follows a street kid with diabetes as he tries to persuade his tough best friend, the legendary Gilgamesh, to take him to the underworld Arkala.

 “Becoming” by Alshanova, a London-based writer/director from Kazakhstan, follows a young woman grappling with identity and independence in modern-day Kazakhstan.

“Exile,” from Hmili, is a powerful portrait of displacement and belonging. In the biggest steel factory of Tunisia, four workers suffering from psychological and physical disorders are haunted by the loss of their colleague. In an atmosphere of social and political tension, their struggle will help them overcome their pain.

The Red Sea Film Foundation said it was “proud to have supported these exceptional projects” and celebrated their selection as a milestone moment for regional cinema.
 


Ashi Studio unveils sculptural silhouettes in Paris

Ashi Studio unveils sculptural silhouettes in Paris
Updated 09 July 2025
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Ashi Studio unveils sculptural silhouettes in Paris

Ashi Studio unveils sculptural silhouettes in Paris

DUBAI: Ashi Studio, founded by Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi, presented its Fall/Winter 2026 haute couture collection during Paris Haute Couture Week, featuring a series of architectural gowns and tailored creations.

The collection focused on structured silhouettes and exaggerated proportions, with many looks emphasizing sharp tailoring, corsetry and sculpted waistlines. 

A palette of black, ivory and champagne was punctuated by shimmering metallics and embroidery. (Getty Images)

Several pieces featured dark satin corsets with lace trim, dramatic fishtails, high slits and cascading fringe panels. Throughout the collection, waists was cinched and hips were accentuated. 

A palette of black, ivory and champagne was punctuated by shimmering metallics and embroidery. Satin, tulle, lace and jacquard were prominent, with select garments incorporating feathers, beaded applique and textured embellishments. 

Several looks integrated embroidery that resembled botanical and animal motifs, while others featured sculptural three-dimensional elements like floral bustiers or carved wooden corsets. One standout piece was a cream ensemble embroidered with monkeys and leaves, while another featured a corset carved in a wood-like finish, wrapped by sculptural monkeys. 

One standout piece was a cream ensemble embroidered with monkeys and leaves, while another featured a corset carved in a wood-like finish, wrapped by sculptural monkeys. (Instagram)

Other designs included sheer tulle gowns with visible corsetry, jackets with dramatic shoulders and floral applique and fully sequined dresses embroidered with birds and foliage.

Some models carried small clutches made from matching textiles.

Nojoud Al-Rumaihi attended the show. (Getty Images) 

US rapper Cardi B was among the high-profile guests at the Paris-based brand’s presentation. She arrived wearing an ivory lace gown with a high-neck and long-sleeves. The dress featured sheer panels, tiered ruffles and a voluminous asymmetrical skirt. She completed the look with pointed heels and a side braid. 

The rapper posed for photos alongside Ashi ahead of the show.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ashi Studio (@ashistudio)

Ashi’s creations have been worn by the likes of Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue, Penélope Cruz, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Queen Rania of Jordan and more.  

Ashi became the first couturier from the Gulf region to join the Fédération de la Haute Couture in Paris as a guest member in 2023. He also became the first designer from the Gulf to be included in the BoF 500 list, the Business of Fashion’s index of the people shaping the fashion industry in 2023.

Ashi designed the inaugural fashion line for the cabin crew of the Kingdom’s new airline, Riyadh Air, which is on track to make its maiden flight this year. 


Riyadh Fashion Week issues final call for designer applications ahead of 3rd edition

Riyadh Fashion Week issues final call for designer applications ahead of 3rd edition
Updated 08 July 2025
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Riyadh Fashion Week issues final call for designer applications ahead of 3rd edition

Riyadh Fashion Week issues final call for designer applications ahead of 3rd edition

DUBAI: Riyadh Fashion Week (RFW) is gearing up for its third edition, with organizers issuing a final call for designer applications. Fashion houses from across Saudi Arabia and around the world have until July 15 to submit their proposals for inclusion in the official calendar.

One of the Middle East’s most anticipated fashion events, RFW offers a platform for both emerging and established designers to showcase their collections to international buyers and industry leaders. 

The official calendar will feature a broad spectrum of brand activations beyond traditional runway shows. Designers can also take part in curated presentations, showroom exhibitions, trunk shows, retail pop-ups, creative takeovers, private dinners and immersive experiences. 

Saudi Arabia-based and international fashion brands across ready-to-wear, couture, menswear, and streetwear categories are eligible. 
“This is more than a runway,” said Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission. “It is a statement of creative identity, innovation, and ambition. Riyadh Fashion Week provides a high-impact opportunity for designers to tell their story on a global stage.”