RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Athr Gallery — which has branches in Jeddah, AlUla and Riyadh — is once again displaying the works of several Saudi artists at London’s prestigious Frieze art fair, which began Oct. 9 and runs until Oct. 13.
This year’s Athr lineup includes works by Nasser Al-Salem, Dana Awartani, Sara Abdu and Ayman Daydban. The exhibition is called “Nafs,” meaning “self” or “psyche” and, according to the gallery, it “challenges existing conventions and fosters dialogue on Islamic artistic identity” and “redefines traditional Islamic art forms to offer a deeper understanding of the self, society and the human ego.” The 39-year-old is an architect, calligrapher and artist.
For his two works for Frieze — “Math + Metal” (pictured) and “Metal Civilization” — Al-Salem combined all three to create minimalist sculptures that, according to Athr, “redefine Islamic calligraphy by infusing modernity with traditional phrases.” The calligraphy isn’t immediately comprehensible, due to Al-Salem’s conceptual approach to Arabic writing. But that shouldn’t lead you to think Al-Salem does not respect traditional calligraphy.
As he explained to Arab News in 2019, he began as a classical calligrapher. It wasn’t until he travelled abroad that he decided he wanted to create work that could “coexist within the realm of contemporary art.” He continued: “I was asking myself the question that most calligraphers today ask themselves: How.