Ahmed Mater

This is the first survey of the extraordinary life and work of Saudi artist, Dr Ahmed Mater. Mater’s work, exhibited at the Venice, Cairo, Sharjah and Berlin Biennales and in the collection of the British Museum and the 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 art, which encompasses photography, calligraphy, painting, installation and video, explores the narratives and aesthetics of Islamic culture in an era of globalisation, consumerism and dramatic flux. Mater has created an iconic visual language within the boundaries of his faith, culture and scientific training. Against this backdrop he explores ideas directly connected to his encounters with ordinary people in real life situations and because of this the underlying narratives within his work speak to an authentic and universal human experience. The book examines four of his most important artistic projects, and includes contributions from leading scholars and commentators.