Artistic Vision of Saudi Cities with Lively 'Feminine' Figures

One of the artist's paintings on display at the exhibition.
One of the artist's paintings on display at the exhibition.
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Artistic Vision of Saudi Cities with Lively 'Feminine' Figures

One of the artist's paintings on display at the exhibition.
One of the artist's paintings on display at the exhibition.

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.



UK Farm Swaps Milk for Cow Cuddles

Visitor Jess Tinton embraces a cow during a "Cow Cuddling" experience at Dumble Farm in Arram, Britain, June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Visitor Jess Tinton embraces a cow during a "Cow Cuddling" experience at Dumble Farm in Arram, Britain, June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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UK Farm Swaps Milk for Cow Cuddles

Visitor Jess Tinton embraces a cow during a "Cow Cuddling" experience at Dumble Farm in Arram, Britain, June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Visitor Jess Tinton embraces a cow during a "Cow Cuddling" experience at Dumble Farm in Arram, Britain, June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its cows and instead charge visitors to cuddle them.

Dumble Farm started as a dairy farm in the 1970s, but in recent years flooding washed out crops and killed off the type of grass the cows like to eat, while milk prices below cost of production proved an insurmountable challenge, Reuters reported.

"The amount of flooding and the pressures on our land were just making it unsustainable for us to carry on," said Fiona Wilson, co-owner of the farm.

Agriculture is one of the sectors worst-affected by climate change, with farmers in Europe and elsewhere suffering under increasing heat, drought and flooding.

In 2022, Dumble Farm sold all but a few of its dairy cows and, in a scramble to reinvent itself, began offering "cow cuddling" experiences to fund a wildlife conservation scheme.

For 95 pounds ($127.80), visitors can cuddle, brush and stroke the cows as they lie down on a straw-covered enclosure inside a barn. The experience includes a safari to see Highland cattle.

"It's been so worth it, just to get so close to the cows, and they are so loving and gentle," guest Emma Hutton, 25, said after she spent some time cuddling one of the cows.

It took over a year to train the cows to feel comfortable with cuddling, but now the animals have fully adjusted, farmer James McCune said.

"They like being pampered. They are like big dogs... It's more of a spa day for the cows," McCune said. The farm uses the proceeds to create habitats to protect wildlife and support declining species, such as lapwing birds.

"It's great that we can fund the conservation scheme by having visitors to the farm, and that's really the bigger picture," Wilson said.