Ahmed Mater

An illuminating look at one of the Middle Eastand#8217;s most fascinating contemporary artists, this survey is the first to explore the extraordinary life and work of Saudi artist Dr Ahmed Mater. Materand#8217;s work, exhibited at the Venice Biennale and in the collections of the British Museum and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is informed by his education and life as a medical doctor, as well as by his traditional religious upbringing and Saudi culture. His work, which encompasses photography, calligraphy, painting, installation and video, explores the narratives and aesthetics of Islamic culture in an era of globalization, consumerism and dramatic flux.

The book examines four of Materand#8217;s most important artistic projects, and includes contributions from leading scholars and commentators writing from London, Riyadh, Los Angeles, Paris, Abha, Sanaand#8217;a and Amsterdam. Catherine Davidand#8217;s foreword positions Materand#8217;s work within the cultural context of the Arabian Gulf, while the bookand#8217;s elegant design evokes the artistand#8217;s Middle Eastern sensibility.

An illuminating look at one of the Middle Easts pioneering contemporary artists, this survey is the first to explore the life and work of Saudi artist Ahmed Mater Aseeri. Maters work, exhibited at the Venice Biennale and in the collection of the British Museum, is informed by his education and life as a medical doctor, as well as by religious symbols and Saudi culture. His work is described as being neither painting nor calligraphy, but combining elements of both. The book examines four of Maters most important works, and includes essays by leading scholars and critics. Catherine Davids foreword positions Maters work within the cultural context of the Persian Gulf, while the books elegant design evokes the artists Middle Eastern sensibility.

Venetia Porter is Curator of Islamic and Contemporary Middle East Department at the British Museum, and a leading figure in the field of Middle Eastern contemporary art. and#160;Porter made the purchase of an Ahmed Mater painting in 2003 on behalf of the British Museum, for the exhibition for Word into Art, the first comprehensive exhibition of contemporary Middle Eastern art, featuring over 90 artists of which Mater was one of only two Saudis included.and#160;and#160;

Catherine David

isand#160;currently head curator at the Direction des Musand#233;es de France and was previously curator at the Centre Pompidou. She has become a prolific curator on the Middle East art scene and recently curated the prestigious project Documenta X. She curated the Abu Dhabi Authority Culture and Heritage (ADACH) platform in the Venice Biennale and included Ahmed Mater as one of leading artists of the Gulf

Linda Komaroff is Head Curator of Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Tim Mackintosh Smith is an award-winning British writer based in Yemen. He has written numerous books on his travels in the Middle East, and edited the infamous "Travels of Ibn Battutah." He has lectured at the Royal Geographic Society and hosted BBC documentaries on his travels.and#160;

Ahmed Al Omran is a leading Saudi commentator with one of the most well-known and longstanding blogs on the Middle East. Has become a leading figureand#160;often touching on controversial, political, and societal matters, engaging Saudi youth in positive debate with over 4 million followers in Saudi Arabia alone.

Aarnout Helb is the Founder and Director of the worldand#8217;s first museum dedicated to contemporary art from Saudi Arabia, inand#160;in Amsterdam.and#160;

Ashraf Fayyad is a published Palestinian poet and artist living in Abha, Saudi Arabia.and#160;

Stephen Stapleton is an artist and founder of Edge of Arabia, a leading platform for promoting contemporary art from Saudi Arabia.