The Visual Arts Commission has announced Bedayat: Beginnings of the Saudi Art Movement, a landmark exhibition that explores and celebrates the origins of Saudi Arabia’s modern art scene. On view from January 27 to April 11, 2026, at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, the exhibition focuses on the formative decades between the 1960s and 1980s, when a pioneering generation of artists laid the foundations of the Kingdom’s visual arts movement.
Visual Arts Commission
Tracing the development of artistic practice in Saudi Arabia, Bedayat examines how cultural, social, and economic shifts in the mid-twentieth century shaped emerging forms of creative expression. The exhibition is informed by extensive research led by the Visual Arts Commission, including more than 80 site visits, 120 detailed artist reports, and 50 recorded interviews.
Developed with an advisory team comprising artist Abdulrahman Alsuliman, Dr. Mohammed Alrusais, and Dr. Charbel Dagher, the research combines academic perspectives with firsthand testimonies, documenting early exhibitions, educational initiatives, and the locally rooted artistic languages that emerged during this period.
Curated by Qaswra Hafez, the exhibition brings together paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and a wide range of archival materials—many displayed publicly for the first time.
Centered on the decades from the 1960s through the 1980s, it highlights how Saudi artists engaged with the Kingdom’s cultural heritage while participating in international artistic dialogues.
By adapting modernist approaches to local contexts, these artists developed distinctive visual languages and helped establish cultural institutions and artist networks through grassroots initiatives alongside public and private patronage.
Hosted at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in the historic Al Murabba’a district, Bedayat presents the work of key figures from across three decades, illuminating a pivotal era in which modern and abstract practices took shape in the Kingdom.
The exhibition is organized into three thematic sections: The Foundation of the Modern Art Movement in Saudi Arabia, which examines the interplay between individual initiative and state support; Currents of Modernity, exploring the artistic ideas that influenced Saudi production; and Modernist Pioneers, spotlighting four leading figures—Mohammed Al-Saleem, Safeya Binzagr, Mounirah Mosly, and Abdulhalim Radwi.
Bedayat
Commenting on the exhibition, Dina Amin, CEO of the Visual Arts Commission, said: “This exhibition celebrates the history of modern art in Saudi Arabia and honors the pioneering artists and the public and private initiatives whose collective efforts shaped the art scene of this era. We hope Bedayat contributes to an enduring continuum, offering meaningful access to the depth and diversity of our visual arts history.”
Curator Qaswra Hafez added: “Bedayat presents a comprehensive, research-driven narrative of Saudi modern art. Through archival research, seminal artworks, and firsthand accounts, we aim to preserve the foundations of our modern art movement for future generations.”
“This project is both a tribute to early artists and a lasting cultural legacy that will continue to inform and inspire audiences in the Kingdom and beyond.”
Bedayat: Beginnings of the Saudi Art Movement is part of the Visual Arts Commission’s wider commitment to archiving and documenting Saudi visual culture. Moreover, the exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive publication and an original documentary film, providing an in-depth resource for the public and researchers alike.
Furthermore, an extensive public program of talks, workshops, and masterclasses will further explore themes such as early art education, the role of pioneering educators and institutions, and best practices in archival preservation.
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