The public is invited to the Intermix residency program’s open studio exhibition at JAX, the art district in Riyadh. It will feature various works by regional and international multidisciplinary and textile artists who are redefining ideas of art and fashion.
The Visual Arts Commission and Fashion Commission’s first multidisciplinary residency, Intermix, aims to provide opportunities for designers and visual artists to exchange creative experiences and practices throughout a three-month program through the lenses of innovation, transformation, and sustainability.
A total of 13 artists, including Chakir Hani, Elham Dawsari, Huda Beydoun, Malik Thomas Jalil Kydd, Mashail Faqeeh, Sara Abdu, Shaima Saleh, and Anthony “Qwan” Liguer Laubhouet, have pieces on display during the exhibition, which runs from November 9 to November 19.
To generate new memories and understandings of identity and belonging, street artist Noor Ebrahim converted an empty vessel into a “SPACECRAFT” inside the confines of a studio space. Her work questions the notion of heterotopia by giving it new significance through varied colored yarn hues. The artwork stands on its own and invites viewers to interact with it by standing inside it and exploring the area beneath its sculptural form.
“My entire body of work uses psychedelic hues. This was intended to inspire joy or happiness: When you enter this bubble or pocket, all you feel is happiness. These colors convey it to me,” Ebrahim said.
The audience is greeted by sand streaks, remnants of another Hana AlMilli piece, as they enter the main showcase room, along with an audio performance selected by resident Sara Abdu.
The diamond shape that appears in most weaving patterns from her diverse background is incorporated into the textile art of Saudi textile artist AlMilli. The textile object is buried in soil from the JAX neighborhood and blended with hibiscus, lavender, and other herbs. In the coming days, as the mixture gradually dyes the cloth, it will rise into the fabric’s creases.