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Abdulla Bin Sougat, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Lifestyle Group, welcomed the exhibition and said:
"The Dubai International Financial Centre is at the forefront of the art scene in Dubai and the region. We have successfully created the DIFC Gate Village which has emerged as the heart of art. We have extended our patronage to the works of the celebrated Dr. Ahmed Mater as we feel that exhibitions such as this add value and luster to the overall lifestyle offering of the DIFC and bring globally renowned works of art to the people of Dubai and the region."
Saeed Al Nabouda, Chief Projects Officer at the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said, "It is the prime objective of the Authority to transform Dubai as a vibrant, Arabian, global centre of excellence for arts and culture. Dr. Ahmed Mater's works have been displayed by prestigious institutions such as the British Museum, Sharjah and Cairo biennales, London's Brunei Gallery and his work will be featured in the Venice Biennale later this year. The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority is pleased to help bring the works of an artist of such international stature to Dubai."
Ahmed Mater Al Ziad Aseeri (1979) is the son of a traditional Aseeri painter (mother) from the village of Rujal Al-Ma'a in the mountainous and green Aseer region of Southern Saudi Arabia. He was raised in its capital, Abha, where he still combines his career as an artist with that of a medical doctor at the local hospital.
Drawing on the duality of his existence as both artist and doctor, Mater's work frames humanity within a palimpsest of religious symbols and scientific references. The iconic and sometimes disturbing compositions float between the memory of a magical past and the fear of an uncertain future... searching for the presence of faith, spirit, magic and even love in the modern world.
Compelled by a brave, conceptual imagination, Mater has developed a unique and powerful artistic voice which has brought him to the forefront of Saudi's emerging contemporary arts scene.
His work has been included in the British Museum's Word into Art exhibition and collected by museums and patrons across Europe and the Middle East. His more conceptual work including the pioneering Yellow Cow and X-Ray Suicide projects have been included in the Sharjah (2007) and Cairo (2008) biennales and he has recently co-curated the acclaimed Edge of Arabia, Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia at London's Brunei Gallery. His work will also be featured in the Venice Biennale later this year.
There is no doubt that Ahmed Mater is a rising star in the Middle Eastern contemporary arts scene.
Posted by Siba Sami Ammari
