ATHR Gallery is delighted to announce an ambitious program marking its significant contribution to the highly anticipated 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale with ATHR Gallery artist Muhannad Shono as Contemporary Art Curator. Held in Jeddah—Saudi Arabia’s historic port city and cultural gateway— ATHR will present three solo exhibitions: A Muslim Man by Rami Farook, Winter By Ayman Yossri Daydban and Nafs by Lulua Alyahya exploring identity and belonging, along with an opening rooftop dinner themed Jeddah, Bride of the Sea on January 25th at 9 pm at ATHR gallery and closing on March 25th, 2025.
True to its name, meaning grandmother in Arabic, Jeddah embodies a legacy of connectivity that has long welcomed global spiritual pilgrims and creatives to its shores. In a city defined by cultural exchange, ATHR continues that tradition, serving as a vibrant hub of international collaboration while advancing the Kingdom’s contemporary art discourse on the global stage. From Jeddah’s storied public art sculptures of the 1970s to its current role in hosting the Islamic Arts Biennale, the city remains at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s cultural renaissance.
ATHR proudly presents a dynamic lineup of three solo exhibitions showcasing its artists’ diverse yet interconnected visions. Alyahya’s Saudi debut solo exhibition, Nafs (self), presents a series of paintings that playfully distort culturally familiar scenes and characters. The exhibition offers a space for encounter with the self— both that of the subject and the viewer, inviting an introspective engagement with works that bridge the personal and the collective.
Rami Farook’s A Muslim Man presents works including paintings, sculptures, prints, interventions, videos, performances, and installations. This docu-fictional immersive exhibition flows like a film, exploring the complex journey of a Muslim man’s relationship with God, faith, self, family, and society. This body of work reflects Farook’s multifaceted role as an artist and curator. In dialogue with Farook’s exhibition, Winter by Ayman Yossri Daydban expands on two of his earlier seminal works: Ihramat (2012) and Muss (1996). A leading figure in Saudi contemporary art, Daydban revisits the intricate patterns of the ihram, the plain white cloth worn by Muslim pilgrims, exploring its cultural and spiritual significance while examining themes of identity, isolation, and self-reflection. Each of the exhibitions will open on January 25th until March 25th at ATHR Gallery.
As a leading force shaping Saudi Arabia’s contemporary art scene, ATHR’s standout presence at the Islamic Arts Biennale underscores the gallery’s commitment to advancing the Kingdom’s cultural narrative and contributing to a thriving global art ecosystem enriched by shared opportunities.
Press release from ATHR Gallery
Image: Ayman Yossri Daydban. Jama’a 3. 2011. 240 x 400 x 5 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and ATHR Gallery
