Image of Lulwah Al Homoud via Tabari Artspace
Dubai is the highly anticipated annual event for all art enthusiasts, and opened for its 2021 edition on March 29th. The event provides a platform for renowned and emerging regional and international artists and galleries, and amongst the newcomers this year is the Riyadh based, Mono Gallery.
Nahyan bin Mubarak opens @ArtDubai 2021 hosted at @DIFC, with 50 galleries from 31 countries participating in the event. pic.twitter.com/cLoFSVuRBx
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 29, 2021
The Mono Gallery was founded in 2017 by Momen Al Muslimani, a Saudi Arabian entrepreneur and medical engineer, who wanted to add some color into his life by venturing into the art world as an escape from the monotony of his daily life as a CEO of his own company.
He told Arab News, “I lost the excitement of challenges — of failure and success — and I started to look for something new.” Supporting a number of artists at the Mono Gallery, he had his ‘eureka’ moment when he came across art posts on social media and realized that art is something people from all walks of life can connect with, “I thought, ‘Okay, let me discover this world,’ and I was keen to visit every art exhibition in Saudi Arabia, from Jeddah to Dammam and Alkhobar,” he said.
Al Muslimani realized that there was a gap in the art scene and a lack of galleries in Riyadh, and wanted to make his gallery a platform for Arab artists.
“I care about art and the artists. I want to present them to the world and show that I am standing behind them. ‘Mono’ means a single, independent line. With that name, I wanted to express the idea that Mono Gallery has its own DNA or identity and is not a copy of anybody else,” he said.
The Mono Gallery’s presence at Art Dubai will serve as a platform for four female artists from Saudi Arabia, Reem Al Faisal, Tarfah Al Saud, Kholood Al Bakr and Lulwah Al Homoud, and one Egyptian artist, Amani Mousa.
Each artist uses a different medium, such as photography, architecture, geometry, and explores personal experiences and emotions conveyed through art.
Momen Al Muslimani felt it important to participate at Art Dubai this year as he said he felt a responsibility to the event, and that the platform gave the Saudi gallery the confidence and guidance to present the artists and their identity.
