Ahmed Mater

Ahmed Mater is a doctor, and renowned Saudi artist working with photography, calligraphy, painting, installation and video. His experiences with medicine have allowed him to challenge his traditional contexts and explore wider issues about Islamic culture in an era of globalisation. His well-known Magnetism work, using iron filings and a cube magnet, has become a powerful metaphor for the spiritual force that animates the Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca, and other phenomena. For more than a decade, Mater has established himself as a pioneering figure in the Saudi contemporary art scene. His Illuminations and Evolution of Man series brought the artist to the forefront of a controversial group show in Jeddah which heralded the formation of the Shatta artists collective that also included Abdulnasser Gharem and Sahraf Fayadh. This initiative marked the first opportunity to gauge the development of a contemporary art scene in Saudi, supported by the critical mass of a younger generation. This exceptional monograph, covering Mater's major projects to date, incorporates his most celebrated artworks and includes commentary by leading art world figures, such as Chris Dercon and Venetia Porter, as well as Mater's own reflections on his creative and personal journey.