The new exhibition hosted by the 55-Icon Gallery entitled "6-Icons" features twenty-four abstract paintings by six renowned artists: Saudi artists Fahd Khulaif, Mohammed al-Rabat, Abdelrahmane Maghrabi and Nawal al-Suraihi; as well as Jeddah-based Somali artist Abdelaziz Ashour; and Egyptian artist Moataz Kamal.
According to Saudi painter Abdelrahmane Maghrabi, the exhibition aims to breathe new life into the community of artists from the Jeddah scene. Indeed, while the city is renowned for its artistic dynamism, today artists are attracted to Riyadh, which organises numerous artistic events.
Many of Jeddah's leading artists are heading to Riyadh to meet the demands of hotels, resorts, airports and public projects such as Neom and AlUla. These include Taha Sabban, Safeya Binzagr, Abdallah Nawawi, Abdallah Hammas, Ahmed Felemban, Ibrahim Bouqis, Na'il Mulla, Mohammed al-Aajam and Abdallah Idris.
"Art events in Jeddah have recently been in decline. This is due to the low demand for works. Interest in artworks seems to be waning in Jeddah and flourishing in Riyadh." According to Abdelrahmane Maghrabi, most of Jeddah's innovative artists, including Abdallah Hammas, are moving to the capital and setting up their own galleries (Arab News).
Photo: work by Moataz Kamal, copyrights Khan AlMaghraby Gallery.