SARA AL ABDALI (B. 1989), MAKKA

spray painted graffiti stencil on paper laid in glass

40.5 by 58.5 cm. 16 by 23 in.

Framed: 54.5 by 71.3 cm. 21 ½ by 28 in.

Executed in 2012.

Sarah Mohanna Al Abdali was born in Jeddah in 1989. With familial roots in the Hejaz region, her practice reflects her efforts to maintain a connection with the land, architecture and heritage of the cultural region. She studied graphic design at Dar Al-Hekma University, Jeddah, and then a master’s degree at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, London (2014), which encouraged her experimentation with traditional crafts from the Islamic world, including ceramics, gypsum sculpting, Persian miniature painting and plaster carvings. Using various media, including painting, ceramics, graffiti and woodwork, Al Abdali explores her interest in Arab culture and Islamic philosophy. She is also recognised as one of the first Saudi street artists, where her graffiti tags have appeared across Jeddah in areas where her family once had homes. Alongside the transgressive element to Al Abdali’s graffiti, there also exists a deep appreciation for Saudi heritage; these tags act to protect cultural history in a contemporary format, history that is in parts being erased by the rapid urbanisation of Mecca and Medina. Her painting practice holds a different focus, particularly influenced by her experience becoming a mother, where she underscores the stories of women, buildings and social schemes that typically do not appear in Saudi arts and culture. She has participated in international exhibitions including ‘RHIZOMA’ at the 55th Venice Biennale, 2013 and ‘#COMETOGETHER’ organised by Edge of Arabia, London 2012.