Saudi artists feature in Christie’s ‘Mawasim’ auction

DUBAI: Abdul Halim Radwi

The Makkah-born artist — widely considered to be one of the most significant in the Kingdom’s modern art movement — created this “monumental canvas” in 1989 — “a moment of profound optimism surrounding the possibilities of technological advancement and scientific exploration the collective imagination of the Arab world,” according to show notes from Christie’s. “This sense of optimism was particularly resonant in Saudi Arabia following Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud’s journey into space in 1985, as the first Arab and Muslim astronaut in history. His achievement became a powerful symbol of national progress and modernization, while the mission’s inclusion of the Arabsat-1B communications satellite gave the journey particular significance within the wider history of Arab scientific achievement.”