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11.3.2017

Ahaad Alamoudi: “Through my art, I want to question things”

Young artist Ahaad Alamoudi has grown up between the England and Saudi Arabia. Through her art, she explores the many ways her multicultural background mirrors the experiences of many Saudi youth influenced by both their traditional culture as well as wider global culture found online. Through installations bringing together traditional Saudi craftsmanship and visual installations, […]

Young artist Ahaad Alamoudi has grown up between the England and Saudi Arabia. Through her art, she explores the many ways her multicultural background mirrors the experiences of many Saudi youth influenced by both their traditional culture as well as wider global culture found online.

Through installations bringing together traditional Saudi craftsmanship and visual installations, Alamoudi highlights her Saudi heritage and its evolution over time. A graduate in graphic design from Dar Al-Hekma University in 2014, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Print a the Royal College of Art in London.

How can web culture (Gifs, wikipedia, web design in general) have an impact on art ? And how do you use it?

Ahaad Alamoudi: I think the virtual space and web culture in general have a huge impact not only on my work but also on society in general. It allows to create dialogue amongst each other and it allows messages to prosper amongst the youth and different generations and different people from across the world.
It’s a beautiful space where all these features come together and are exhibited in a way.

I work a lot with virtual space and internet in general to think about the realities that are happening in Saudi Arabia and this virtual realm that’s happening online as well and how these go hand in hand or how they oppose each other.

Web culture is the perfect heir of  pop culture. Is it creating a common world culture?

Ahaad Alamoudi: I think it’s uniting a lot of worlds but it’s exposing a lot of worlds as well. I think that’s what’s exciting especially for Saudi Arabia, for people to see the art that is coming out from Saudi and the people and the things that are happening within the Kingdom itself.
I put a lot of my work there. People then start asking questions and that creates a dialogue and a joint kind of world.

Who is the artist who inspired you the most and why?

Ahaad Alamoudi: I would say my mother. My mother is an artist and she’s given me the base and she’s been very supportive  and my family’s been very supportive.
She used to always use some of the drawings that I used to draw as I was a child and put them in her work so I think she put me into that world from a young age.

A Saudi artist told me last week that all artists have a message. What’s your message ?

Ahaad Alamoudi: Through my art, I want to question things. My work is more about questioning, analyzing and theoretically engaging with different audiences.

Published on 3 November 2017

#Contemporary Art