Sarah Al-Zaidi, a Saudi artist, spent five months making a portrait of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman using gemstones and other minerals she collected from Jabal Tuwaiq, a mountain in the Kingdom’s north.
‘Himmat Al-Jabal,’ which means ‘Mettle of the Mountain,’ was inspired by the crown prince’s remark that “the Saudi people’s mettle is like Jabal Tuwaiq.”
Valleys along the flanks of Jabal Tuwaiq were once home to towns, and the escarpment is now promoted as a hiking and outdoor recreation destination. After acquiring an early enthusiasm for art, Al-Zaidi developed her distinctive, expressive method.
She collects obsidian, amber, and quartz stones, as well as other materials such as wood and seashells, and uses them to create spectacular mosaic-like pieces.
Jabal Tuwaiq is a long, steep slope in central Arabia’s Najd plateau that stretches over 800 kilometres from the Qassim region northwest of Riyadh to the northern fringe of the Rub’ al Khali (Empty Quarter desert) in the south.