Saudi artist wins place at coveted Silk Road show

Kamal Al-Mualem with his sculptural works carried out in China.

• The annual festival highlights China's “One Belt, One Road” initiative
• Artworks are selected by a committee that evaluates the works

RIYADH: Artworks by Saudi sculptor and painter Kamal Al-Mualem will be displayed at the Silk Road International Arts Festival and Exhibition at the Shaanxi Provincial Museum of Fine Arts in Xi’an, China, in September.
Hosted annually by China’s Ministry of Culture, the festival highlights President Xi Jinping’s strategic concept of “One Belt, One Road” in the field of humanities, and encourages cultural exchange between China and other countries.
Speaking to Arab News, Al-Mualem said: “It is a matter of great pride that a Saudi artist will show works to an art-loving Chinese audience and foreign visitors.”
“It is a matter of great pride that a Saudi artist will show works to an art-loving Chinese audience and foreign visitors,” he said.
Artworks are selected by a committee that evaluates the works and puts the results on an official website. The committee then sends a letter of confirmation to selected artists that their works have been accepted for participation.
Al-Mualem said that the international exhibition is a platform for contemporary cultural exchange and highlights the role of Chinese culture in the art of Silk Road.
The artist represented the Kingdom at the same exhibition last year.
“I seek blessings from the Almighty Allah to help me in representing the dear homeland in the best way possible that reflects well for Saudi arts and culture,” said Al-Mualem, an Eastern Province artist who studied fine art at the Florence Fine Arts Academy in Italy.
Al-Mualem’s work has been shown in international exhibitions, including the Changcheng and Chuanqing International Sculpture Exhibition in China.
Last year 300 artists from 106 countries participated in the Silk Road International Art Exhibition, gaining recognition and support from around the world.