RIYADH — Misk Art Institute, an affiliate of the Prince Muhammad Bin Salman Foundation (Misk), has launched an initiative to write and publish a series of art books about Saudi and Arab artists in both Arabic and English, under the name 'Art Library' on June 7, 2021. The outputs of the initiative will present two books in the first half of the year and two books in the second half, at a rate of four books annually. Each book reviews selected works or a specific series in the professional life of a Saudi or Arab artist, in addition to containing articles written by artistic curators, writers and specialists in the field of art. The books of the series begin with a speech from Minister of Culture Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Misk Art Institute, in which he said, "Misk Art, through the "Art Library" initiative, documents the practices of influential Arab artists in their field, and seeks to facilitate access to art and make it accessible to all, inspiring them and prompting connoisseurs to critical thinking and enhancing public appreciation of works of art and their value." The initiative series begins with a book about the Saudi artist Abdulrahman Al-Sulaiman (born in 1954), who is one of the pioneers of the art scene in the Kingdom, and served as the first president of the Saudi Society for Plastic Arts 2007-2012. Another book is also about the late Egyptian artist Adam Henein (1929-2020), who founded the International Sculpture Symposium in Aswan. Reem Al-Sultan, CEO of the Misk Art Institute, said that the initiative came from an idea to document the work of Arab and Saudi artists and enrich local creative content, which forms the core of the Misk Art Institute's goals. "From our focus on instilling a culture of awareness, encouraging more documentation in the art and culture sector, and paying tribute to artists." At the end of 2021, the Art Library is scheduled to present a book about the Saudi artist Lulwa Al-Hamoud (born in 1967), whose works revolve around spirituality and arithmetic, as well as a book about the late Iraqi painter Rafa Al-Nasiri (born in 1940), who was inspired by nature in his abstract works, while blending with the paintings and print, Arabic calligraphy, to create a new art form. The editor of books and responsible for cultural assets and centers at the Ministry of Culture and a member of the advisory committee at the Misk Art Institute Mona Khaznadar said: "The artist's work is a form of documenting our time, which in turn is a historical record." "The art library is an Arab production that will allow us to record our own history, and with publishing, this series hopefully will inspire and educate audiences about Arab art around the world." While the initiative is taking place, the Misk Art Institute is also organizing an exhibition of the works of Abdulrahman Al Sulaiman and an exhibition of the works of Adam Henein at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Art Gallery in Riyadh, including accompanying programs that include panel discussions and workshops for all ages.
