Every city is female. This is what Saudi artist Sawsan Al Sajjan believes. She paints Saudi cities with lively feminine characters. Across 30 works she presented in her first solo exhibition titled "She" ("Hiya") at the Naila Art Gallery in Riyadh.
The exhibition concluded on Thursday, after astonishing visitors who can now appreciate these cities with a new artistic light.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al Sajjan said: "Cities captivate me with their old neighborhoods, the walls of their buildings inscribed with sweet tales of bygone days full of fragrance and memories. Buildings and cities are living figures standing tall in the face of nature and time."
She explained that she depicts the city as a colorful female, prompting onlookers to discover the treasures and magic of its mysterious beauty.
In a tour of the exhibition, there is clear contrast between each of the artworks, as each painting tells a completely different story. This, Al Sajjan said, comes as an expression of the rich diversity that characterizes Saudi cities.
Referring to a painting describing the northwestern city of AlUla, she said: "We see a woman with only her red lip visible, as if it were an invitation to the beauty and charm of AlUla radiating between two mountains. Her hair is inspired by the green oases of AlUla, while her braids came in the form of palm trees."
In another painting, describing the southern city of Abha in Aseer, she said: "I imagined a woman looking like a mountain, surrounded by green spaces, and standing tall in front of heritage buildings, as an expression of the woman's connection with family in that area. She’s wearing a purple head covering, inspired by the bright colorful jacaranda trees in the streets of Abha, with edges decorated with Aseeri inscriptions."
The city of Diriyah received the lion’s share of Al Sajjan’s paintings, expressing her fascination with the rich legacy of this historical site through seven paintings bearing the following names: Diriyah Gate, Modern Diriyah, Diriyah in the Time of Corona, and Diriyah After the Rain, Diriyah Season, Diriyah the Mother, and Diriyah at Night.
Al Sajjan depicted the city of al-Ahsa as feminine, surrounded by pink mountains and wearing a crown on her head as if in a palace, as an expression of the famous historical Al-Qaisaryah market in al-Ahsa. As for the city of the future, Neom, Al Sajjan painted it full of bright colors, titled "Neom, Bride of the Red Sea," which depicts a charming girl whose hair is made of coral reef.
Other Saudi cities were present in these paintings such as Makkah, Jeddah, Yanbu, Farasan Islands and Shaqra province.
Asked about the philosophy behind her work, which revolves around the connection of places with women’s worlds, Al Sajjan replied: "Everything in life is feminine; the city, the village, the palm and the tree. With the creation of Eve, life began, so I see that everything that represents giving, growth and glory is feminine."
Al Sajjan pointed out that her paintings are an invitation for viewers to visit and discover these cities, believing that art should play a pivotal role in advertising the beauty of cities.
Al Sajjan’s style is characterized by bold and bright colors that bring life to heritage, as well as abstract paintings. She says that her desire is to make her heritage paintings as pieces of art that bring joy to every place and time. This is the conclusion of many years of practicing art and participating in several local and international exhibitions.
Plastic artist Sawsan Al Sajjan holds a PhD in Politics and International Relations and an MA in Diplomatic Studies from London, in addition to an MA in Diplomacy from Paris. An independent researcher in international relations, she has loved colors since her childhood, and her love for the arts deepened during her travels around the world to study, where she was introduced to different civilizations, arts and cultures.
These travels were evident in her paintings, whose subjects varied from the picturesque natural landscapes and flowers in its early days, to archeological sites and ancient buildings in Saudi Arabia, especially Diriyah, which confirms that it occupies a special place among her works. Al Sajjan is a symbol of the pride of the founding of Saudi Arabia, and a living example of the strength and fortitude of the Saudi state.
