Artist Ibrahim El-Dessouki is the only Egyptian to present his work at the inaugural Diriyah Biennale, which will be participated by 70 Arab and international artists.
The Saudi event will take place at the historical town Diriyah on the outskirts of Riyadh. The event will be running from 11 December 2021 to 11 March 2022.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale is the first Saudi biennale of this size aiming to showcase work by dozens of international artists.
Focusing on showcasing contemporary art from the Kingdom, the participants include over 25 Saudi artists, including Sarah Abu Abdallah, Hmoud Al Attawi, Zahrah Al Ghamdi, Jowhara AlSaud, Omar Abduljawad, Maha Malluh, among others. International participants include artists from Kuwait, Morocco, Germany, Italy, Ireland, UK, New Zealand, Georgia, Kenya, Bahamas, United States, South Africa, Japan, China and Singapore.
Born in 1969, El-Dessouki is a contemporary visual artist and the only artist from Egypt chosen to showcase his work at Diriyah’s biennale.
El-Dessouki’s creative influence comes from the 1980s marked by the developing global capitalism, political upheaval, worldwide mass media, wealth discrepancies and distinctive music and fashion.
El-Dessouki’s is known for his unique treatment of paint, accentuated by his ability to create subtle changes in its texture.
He uses negative space in an unusual way and is known for his deft manipulation of shadow and light. While the artist’s genres encompass portraiture, landscape and still life, El Dessouki’s subject matter is very much Egypt-centric and captures his own unique and hypnotic perspective of the soul and essence of Egypt.
The biennale will unfold in six sections, with works from national and international artists examining the theme “Feeling the Stones” and engaging visitors in a dialogue around contemporary art.
The Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale was established in 2020 with the support of the Saudi Ministry of Culture. It will be the Kingdom’s first international contemporary art biennale.
