Cuadro

In Landscapes of the Mind, Al Dowayan reflects upon herself as a person, a symbol, a representative of a society and nation existing within a geographical construct. In her landscapes, the mountains, roads, buildings and structures are covered with symbols that obscure their true existence, blurring the simple reality of the visual scene. This conflict is intensified by the artist’s own existence within the space, rather than landscape, to which she belongs.  The result is a surreal landscape which allows Manal to manipulate, reinvent and repackage the reality of her geography and space without physically altering it.

Landscape is an intensely visual concept. People do not live in landscapes - they observe them. The viewer is by definition an outsider. Media images portray Saudi Arabia as a landscape of black figures floating in a space of absence. Interpretations of history and tradition emanating from memory are intermingled with stereotypes and preconceptions. Ultimately, it is a landscape in conflict with itself.

Al Dowayan also reassesses contexts of space and power, confronting the forces that dictate the rules of existence in her landscapes. She adds a layer of self-reflection driven by the desire to understand who holds the power to define perspectives and stereotypes: the observed, the observer, the artist or the outsider?

Born and raised in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Manal Al Dowayan’s artworks have been exhibited at international venues such as the United Nations in New York, The European Parliament in Brussels and, most recently, at the 53rd Venice Biennale, Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo Polignac. Her works are held in public collections including The British Museum, UK; The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Jordan; The Delfina Foundation, UK and The Jameel Foundation, KSA. Al Dowayan is represented by Cuadro Fine Art Gallery.