Ahmed Mater Solo Exhibition

15 March - 2 April 2009

Dubai’s Renowned Art Space Gallery Proudly Presents Saudi Artist Dr. Ahmed Mater

A diverse and moving exhibition of contemporary prints, sponsored by Emirates NBD

 

The upcoming exhibition will showcase an innovative selection of works by the Saudi artist Dr. Ahmed Mater Al-Ziad Aseeri from the 15th of March till 2nd of April 2009 and is sponsored by Emirates NBD.

 

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 Ciaro (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.

 

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About Emirates NBD:

 

Emirates NBD (DFM: ENBD) is the biggest banking group in the Middle East by assets. At 31st December 2008, total assets were AED 282.4 billion and a combined market share of 20.5%.

 

The Group has a leading retail banking franchise in the UAE, with over 120 branches and over 650 ATMs. It is a major player in the UAE corporate banking arena, with a combined market share of almost a fifth of corporate loans. It also has strong Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management and brokerage operations.

 

The Group has operations in the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Kingdom and Jersey (Channel Islands), and representative offices in India, Iran and Singapore.