SAEED GAMHAWI (B. 1972), NINETEEN SEVENTY-SEVEN

each with painted text and lettering in Arabic (to the wood board) 

fabric and mixed media on wood, in seven parts 

Wooden panel (each): 45.5 by 24 cm. 18 by 9 ½ in.

Height with fabric (from left to right):

(i)                 159 cm. 62 ½ in.

(ii)                168 cm. 66 in.

(iii)              157 cm. 61 ¾ in.

(iv)              150 cm. 59 in.

(v)                170 cm. 67 in.

(vi)              167.5 cm. 66 in.

(vii)             142 cm. 56 in.

Executed in 2011.

Born in Al Baha in 1972, Saeed Gamhawi is a conceptual artist and painter whose work functions as piercing observations of social values and cultural differences. Studying fine art in Riyadh and then across the Kingdom, Gamhawi first experimented with a Surrealist approach which eventually led him to Conceptualism. In foregrounding pertinent societal issues such as religion and culture, he aims to draw attention to the importance of protecting cultural heritage and the necessity of a reality that is constantly changing and evolving. In the present work, the artist uses traditional textiles which hang from writing boards, each of which highlights a unique narrative.

Gamhawi is a member of the Fine Artists House in Jeddah, the Saudi Society for Culture and is co-founder of the Tasami Centre for Visual Arts. He has also established the Raseef Studio in Riyadh. He has held solo exhibitions at the Jeddah Atelier for Fine Arts (2003 and 1998) and participated in group shows including ‘Earth and Ever After’ presented by the Saudi Art Council, 2016 and ‘Desert to Delta’ held at the University of Memphis, 2017-2018.