Shadia Alem – The First Step
Saudi women artists have steadily carved their place on the world stage, and the Venice Biennale has been one of the most powerful platforms to showcase their voices. The first milestone came in 2011, when Shadia Alem became the first Saudi woman to exhibit at the Biennale. Alongside her sister Raja’a, she presented The Black Arch in Saudi Arabia’s debut pavilion. The striking installation, with its suspended cube and shimmering spheres, evoked pilgrimage, folklore and cultural memory. Alem’s participation was more than an artistic triumph – it marked the beginning of Saudi women artists stepping confidently into one of the world’s most influential art events.
Maha Malluh – Memory Made Monumental
A few years earlier, Maha Malluh had already been testing the waters of Venice as part of collateral exhibitions, and in 2017 she returned with real impact. Her work Food for Thought “Amma Baad” featured hundreds of bread trays filled with cassette tapes of religious sermons, exploring how everyday objects and mass culture shape collective memory. Malluh’s practice often transforms domestic materials into monumental statements, highlighting the unseen power of women’s lives and traditions. Her voice helped set the stage for Saudi contemporary art to be read as bold, critical and deeply rooted in its social fabric.
Zahrah Al Ghamdi – Landscapes of Memory
In 2019, Zahrah Al Ghamdi represented Saudi Arabia in the national pavilion with After Illusion. The large-scale installation was made from 52,000 pieces of hand-worked leather, inspired by her home region of Al-Baha and traditional Aseeri patterns. The work spoke of landscapes, memory and identity, turning humble material into poetic environments. Al Ghamdi’s contribution showed how Saudi women artists could lead with a strong sense of place and heritage while speaking a language that resonates internationally. Her presence at Venice gave visibility to the Kingdom’s fast-growing contemporary scene and inspired younger artists to imagine themselves on that global stage.
Manal Al Dowayan – Voices in Harmony
The most recent chapter came in 2024 with Manal Al Dowayan’s Shifting Sands: A Battle Song. In this immersive installation, desert-rose-like silk formations carried the voices and writings of hundreds of Saudi women collected through community workshops. Visitors were surrounded by their words, their songs, their presence. Al Dowayan’s work reflected a new spirit of participation, where art becomes a collective voice rather than an individual statement. By bringing lived experiences into the pavilion, she highlighted the power of women to shape narratives about their own society. It was a powerful declaration of agency and a reminder that contemporary Saudi art is inseparable from the communities it springs from.
Together, these four women represent more than individual achievements. Each has shown a different way of working, whether through installation, sculpture, or community art, and each has widened the path for others. They have demonstrated that Saudi women’s creativity is not confined by tradition but enriched by it. Their success at Venice has helped to shift perceptions, placing Saudi Arabia firmly on the map of international contemporary art. The positive effect on the Kingdom’s art scene is clear: more opportunities, more confidence, and more recognition for Saudi women who are ready to tell their stories to the world.
