“The subject is based on the extension of the horizon lines, right and left, so as to reflect the unlimited extension to such an extent that it keeps you anticipating the remaining subject, beyond the frame.”
By Dr. Soha AlZaid
Mohammed Al Saleem was born in 1939, in the town of Marat; located in Riyadh, part of the Najd region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula. Al Saleem is one of the most prominent modern artists in Saudi Arabia, who was born with a passion for art, and later became an ardent connoisseur, one capable of representing authentic Saudi culture, tradition, and environment. His career reflects the status of professional arts in the Kingdom, at the t.mes . He worked as an art teacher from 1958 until 1973, at which t.mes he went to study at the Academia di Belle Arte in Florence, Italy. In 1980, he established the Riyadh International Replica Handbags s Hall, affiliated with the Dar Al-Funun Al-Sa’udiyyah Foundation, which significantly enriched the Saudi art scene. From the year 1986 onward, he was fully committed to artistic activities, where he held more than 36 solo exhibitions and more than 115 group exhibitions: locally, and abroad. His creations have been featured in numerous publications, including the Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Replica Handbags s, and the Historical Record of Replica Handbags s (Italy, 1983).
Through his artistic style, "Horizonism,” Al Saleem was able to weave together both authenticity and modernism, creating a culturally authentic experience. He interpreted this artistic style as an infinite, unlimited dimension into the future (ibid.), as a mature expressive style; the result of years of experimentation, inspired by the ancient Saudi environment and culture, as an enduring legacy of philosophy and art. In countless imagined perspectives, this artistic concept conveyed the uniqueness of the desert, conveying a sense of the beginning of life as it moves towards eternity. His paintings combined colour and linear rhythms inspired by his surroundings. His paintings analysed light, lightness or darkness, and combined shapes that created a new reality, a reality that was never before experienced in the desert, as if communicating beyond the desert. Each of Al Saleem's horizon paintings has its own uniqueness, highlighted by the rhythmic variations produced by the colour tones of the horizon lines. This indicates artistic originality, as each individual will have a distinct reading and interpretation, over t.mes .
This painting reflects the connection between authenticity and modernity, in two aspects. The spoken culture is embedded in the hearts of Saudis through the phrase: “O God, honour them and do not honour an enemy over them,” written in abstract Arabic calligraphy with sharp angles. This expression is used as motivation and encouragement, combined with a sense of pride in achievement, a pride that Saudis have had in their leadership from the days of the founding king: King Abdulaziz Al-Saud. This phrase also expresses the voice of the people of the desert regarding the challenging circumstances of life, and ultimately overcoming them with determination, and persistence. Secondly, Al Saleem captured the agricultural growth, which was one of the national initiatives at the t.mes , a focal point during the 1970s. Every period experienced by the Kingdom had a culture renaissance; one that shifted it towards what is more significant, and modern. The idea of a renaissance was, and still is, something tangible. The horizon lines validate the Saudi renaissance, which started in the desert, and continued in the desert, in addition to providing a feeling of stability. The buildings in the mirage appear brown, and merge with the heritage houses shown in the centre of the painting. They also capture the depth of history reflected in the houses in the Najd region, decorated by traditional triangular shapes. A sense of modernity is incorporated into the piece, which is seen in the tall buildings that stand in the background. The warm shades, rays of sunlight, and sand-like colours are merged into horizontal areas. The rhythm created by the piece actively expresses the concepts of stability, and continuation, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This artwork shows us Saudi history, a history of extensive cultural growth and maturation. It symbolises the present and main role of the Saudi artist in proudly recording his or her culture, heritage, and renaissance from the initial development of the modern arts, to the current cultural industries prospering under the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Sotheby’s is grateful to Dr Soha Al Zaid for cataloguing the present lot and Ms Najla Al Saleem for her insights.