A conversation bringing together previous Façade Commission winning artists to reflect on the significance of the commission within their artistic trajectories, its role as a platform for direct engagement with the public realm, and how their practices approach artistic production through forms of community engagement and shared social experience.

Ashraf Abdullah:

Born in 1997 and of Afghan origin, Ashraf is a Graffiti artist residing in Saudi Arabia. He is known for his use of graffiti, a passion that emerged at an early age, being exposed to diverse types of Arabic typography through the streets of his community. This deep connection with Arabic typography and lettering underpins his practice.

Mohammad Alfaraj 

Mohammad Alfaraj (b. 1993, Al-Ahsa) is an artist working across film, video, photography, installation, and writing. Growing up in the oasis of Al-Ahsa profoundly shaped his practice, which explores the tension between belonging and modernity. Drawing inspiration from people, land, and imagination, he creates works that weave memory, spirituality, and material experimentation. Through the reuse of natural and found materials, edited imagery, and immersive sound and film, his work reflects on coexistence between humans, nature, and other beings, and the fragile transformations that shape these relationships.

Zahrah Al-Ghamdi

Zahrah Al-Ghamdi, born in Al Bahah, KSA in 1977, stands as a fusion of contemporary artist and esteemed academic, renowned for her exploration of memory and history intertwined with traditional architecture. Her artistry unfolds as intricate narratives of cultural identity, memory, and loss, manifesting in meticulously crafted site-specific works composed from earth, clay, rocks, leather, and water. In her capacity as an Associate Professor of Visual Art and Design at the University of Jeddah, Zahrah infuses her unique artistic insights and experiences into a nurturing educational journey for her students.