Riyadh’s Intermix Residency: Where Art and Fashion Collide
The second Intermix Residency in Riyadh opens its studio doors to a world of creative exploration, where artists from around the globe converge to showcase the Kingdom’s natural landscapes and cultural elements at the heart of their work.
Over a span of 10 weeks, 15 creators collaborated to develop their own artistic visions, drawing inspiration from the fusion of visual arts and fashion. The themes of transformation, innovation, and sustainability served as the guiding principles behind their innovative creations.
Kuwaiti artist Maha Alasaker uses her own body as a loom for weaving as she contemplates the complex relationship between body and land. (AN photos)
Italian visual artist Ivo Cotani shares his experience: “The residency has propelled me forward in ways I never imagined. Not only have I seen growth in my productions, but I have also found a deeper connection to my art. I feel more mature and confident in my creative endeavors.”
His piece “I Am Nature” is a blend of various mediums, drawing inspiration from the local flora and fauna. His studio showcases ceramic sculptures of oryxes, camels, eagles, abstract floral paintings, and animal-like flower masks crafted with the help of skilled artisans.
HIGHLIGHT
The Intermix Residency program is fully funded and initiated by Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission in collaboration with the Fashion Commission, and hosted in JAX District within Diriyah.
Reflecting on his creative process, Cotani shares, “Whenever I work, I always find myself connected to the land in some way. My observations of nature and the desert, including a visit to AlUla with its ancient tombs and majestic eagles, have inspired me to study and create representations of desert animals. The idea of embodying nature led me to explore the concept of masks.”
Egyptian fashion designer Somaia Abolezz’s abstract wearable installations demonstrate elements of the caravan journey from Egypt to Makkah. (AN photo)
The artworks displayed in the open studio delve into the complexities of human experience, examining how individuals encapsulate memories, emotions, and interpretive codes that influence their relationships with themselves, everyday life, and the natural environment. The result is a collection of experiments, research, and boundless possibilities.
Saudi visual artist Maram Alsuliman’s “Fragments of the Missing” delves into her cultural background and interest in tradition. She delves into the exploration of forgotten traditions, pondering the reasons behind their disappearance and the impact of their preservation through oral history.
Egyptian fashion designer Somaia Abolezz’s abstract wearable installations demonstrate elements of the caravan journey from Egypt to Makkah. (AN photo)
Describing her motivation, Alsuliman explains, “Hailing from Najran while growing up in Jeddah, I’ve always held a curiosity about my roots in Najran. If it’s challenging for me to access this information despite my familial ties, how will others learn about it? I feel a responsibility to document and share this heritage through my art.”
In line with the residency’s theme of sustainability, Alsuliman repurposes discarded objects like date seeds and broken coffee cups to create abstract shapes, which are then screen printed onto bags using a natural black dye derived from ground date seeds.
Egyptian fashion designer Somaia Abolezz’s abstract wearable installations demonstrate elements of the caravan journey from Egypt to Makkah. (AN photo)
She adds, “My father used to bring back dates from Najran in plastic bags. While he saw them as food containers, I envisioned them as carriers of my cultural traditions.”
Syrian-Palestinian designer Alla Alsahli, raised in the US, infuses her creations with material manipulation and repetition to narrate stories deeply rooted in culture and space.
Egyptian fashion designer Somaia Abolezz’s abstract wearable installations demonstrate elements of the caravan journey from Egypt to Makkah. (AN photo)
Her project at Intermix explores the concept of preservation through architecture in Riyadh and beyond. Inspired by the geometric patterns of Najdi mud buildings, Alsahli crafts fashion pieces using clay, rope, and fabric.
One ensemble features handmade ceramic pieces linked by thread, while the other incorporates discarded muslin fabric joined by rope, symbolizing a hope for preservation amid phases of construction and deconstruction in architecture.
Discussing her inspiration, Alsahli shares, “The revival of traditional spaces, like Diriyah and Al-Bujairi in Riyadh, where cultural heritage is preserved, motivated me to showcase this concept through fashion. It’s a reflection of the reconstruction phase, where communities strive to revive their cultural identity.”
She adds, “While initially focused on Saudi Arabia, I realized the importance of connecting my identity to my work. My thoughts shifted to Syria and Palestine, leading me to explore the themes of ruins and preservation.”
The Intermix Residency aims to cultivate a universal visual language that celebrates the expressive potential of both visual arts and fashion design.
Kuwaiti artist Maha Alasaker delves into the intricate relationship between nature and culture, emphasizing the natural hues extracted from the land. Her exploration of herbal medicines and their historical role in women’s pain management inspires a live performance where she weaves using her body as a loom.
Egyptian fashion designer Somaia Abolezz’s abstract wearable installations narrate elements of the caravan journey from Egypt to Makkah, while Saudi artist Um Kalthoom Al-Alawi’s “Images of Memory” delves into the hidden and revealed aspects through printed fabric patterns.
The Intermix Residency program, fully funded and initiated by Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission in collaboration with the Fashion Commission, is hosted in JAX District within Diriyah, providing a platform for emerging and mid-career artists, designers, and curators to innovate, experiment, and collaborate in a supportive creative environment.