Wood Carving: Motifs of AlBalad

The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts (KFSTA), a core charity of His Majesty King Charles III, furthers his vision of fostering appreciation for the universal values underlying the world’s great art traditions. The school’s teaching emphasizes that understanding traditional arts is inseparable from understanding the natural order and humankind’s place within it.
KFSTA has pioneered postgraduate education rooted in practice, offering Masters and Doctoral degrees in the UK and extending its ethos through public Open Programme courses and international Outreach Programmes. Over the last 30 years, the school has expanded its reach, with programs in over 20 countries, and established centers for long-term education in Egypt, Azerbaijan, China, and Saudi Arabia.

Kawthar AlSayed is passionate about learning arts and crafts, especially traditional ones, because they combine creativity with preserving heritage. She joined the Building Arts and Crafts Intermediate Diploma program in Jeddah’s historical district, graduating in the first cohort in 2023, gaining a deep understanding of various traditional crafts such as wood & plaster carving, natural pigments and painting, carpentry and Mangour. Currently, she works as a teaching assistant at the school, where she has managed to merge her passion with her academic work focusing on her wood carving practice. 

Kunid is a specialist in traditional arts and craftsmanship, with a focus on wooden and gypsum handicrafts. She earned a Certificate in Traditional Arts and Product Design from the The Prince's Foundation, School of Traditional Arts, and Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Jeddah (2021), and later completed the Diploma in Traditional Building Arts (2023). Currently, she serves as a teaching assistant at the School in Jeddah. Her passion lies in traditional architecture, art, and handicrafts. 

Hanan Bucklain is a architect with a bachelor’s degree in architecture and design from Effat University in Jeddah. Her passions include art, architecture, and traditional crafts. She has also completed the Intermediate Diploma in Building Arts and Crafts in Jeddah (2023). Currently, she serves as a teaching assistant and designer at the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, where she provides support and guidance to her students.