Contemporary artist's works explore ever-evolving Saudi Arabia

The first large-scale solo exhibition by a contemporary Saudi artist in China, Ahmed Mater: Antenna, celebrated its opening on March 7 with the scent of cardamom-flavored coffee at UCCA Edge in Shanghai.

Mater, 46, is one of Saudi Arabia's most important contemporary artists. The physician-turned artist has documented and scrutinized the realities of contemporary Saudi Arabia for decades. Using a wide range of media from painting and photography to sculpture and installations, he creates conceptual works that explore collective memories of Saudi history — from the oil boom to the rapid transformation of society.

The exhibition, running until June 8, is a mid-career retrospective featuring more than 100 artworks, including Mater's major series and milestones, offering a comprehensive overview of his practices, formal and thematic explorations and documentary reflections at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's vibrant visual arts ecosystem in parallel to the rapidly evolving social and historical developments of his native land, according to Philip Tinari, director of the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

Presented by UCCA Edge in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Culture represented by the Saudi Visual Arts Commission, the exhibition is part of the official celebration surrounding the Saudi Chinese Cultural Year 2025, as this year marks the 35th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations between China and Saudi Arabia, according to Dina Amin, the CEO of the visual arts commission.

UCCA, one of the leading institutions for contemporary art in China, has been involved in the Saudi art scene for many years. Tinari recalls his first meeting with Mater at Art Basel Hong Kong in 2014 and his first visit to Saudi Arabia in 2019. In 2021, Tinari curated the first Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale when he invited a dozen Chinese artists to participate in the exhibition.

As the world becomes more diverse, it is important that China and non-Western countries engage in cultural exchanges and dialogues on equal footing, Tinari says.

As visitors step into UCCA Edge, they will find a mihrab in the reception hall. The structure appears as a decorated gateway or pavilion found in a traditional Chinese garden, but walking through it, a string of red lights light up around the gate, accompanied by an audio alert.

The second-floor galleries display the artist's early works. The X-Ray series of paintings were created from 2003 to 2004 when he was still practicing medicine. In these paintings, he blends Islamic cultural elements into abstract experimentation. The Empty Land series consists of photographs showing the volatility of the abundance and decline of the oil economy through the years. The Magnetism series are installations that symbolize the Meccan pilgrimage for Muslims.