Ahmed Mater (Saudi Arabian, b. 1979)

Contemporary Saudi Arabian artist, Ahmed Mater, is breaking boundaries and making waves with his edgy and innovative art. Edgy Saudi Arabian art is almost an oxymoron; however, there is a new generation of artists from the Gulf nation who are using their art as a medium for social commentary and self-expression. Ahmed Mater’s Illumination is a witty and clever way to circumvent the taboo against the realistic illustration of the human form in conservative Islamic society. To counterbalance this, Mater’s work also draws from the decorative borders and headings in Quranic manuscripts, which are often printed in a gilded and even “illuminating” script. A similar pair of works titled Illumination Diptych (Ottoman Waqf) are part of the permanent collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.