Sarah Al Abdali

After Hijrah

Sarah Al Abdali was born in 1989 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where she is currently based. Her work explores Arab culture and Islamic philosophy through various media. Since completing a master’s degree at The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, London, in 2014, she has experimented with the traditional crafts of the Islamic world, including woodwork, ceramics, miniature painting, mosaics, and plaster carving. She has also been a consultant on traditional arts and crafts for international and governmental clients including the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and the Turquoise Mountain Trust. Her work investigates paradoxes around identity and belonging by bringing out forgotten historical contexts. Mainly through painting, she seeks to tell the stories of women, buildings, and social schemes that do not usually make their mark in art and culture. In parallel to her art practice she also conducts research on the material culture of the Hijaz region of western Saudi Arabia.

Her work has been exhibited at the British Museum, London, and she has participated in a number of local and international group exhibitions, including the Cairo Biennale (2019); Art Paris, Grand Palais (2018); Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival (2017); StART art fair, Saatchi Gallery, London (2014); and #COMETOGETHER, London (2012).