'Tremendous efforts underway to nurture a thriving art scene in Saudi Arabia'

In Al-Hassan's estimation, the contemporary visual art of today is "nothing like yesterday". She describes it as "in a state of development and expansion." Much of the art itself boils down to one simple, yet endlessly complex thing: how an artist wants to express themselves.

"As the world unfolds before us, our vision broadens, and our ideas change. Visual art no longer adheres to a single style or material. Instead, all styles and materials are left to the artist's imagination," she says.

A chance encounter

Some may be surprised to find out about Al-Hassan's academic background.

Though she's known for her evolving visual lexicon, she also holds a Bachelor's degree in Arabic. She has, however, enrolled in several art courses, ranging from oil painting and watercolour to collage. Her choices in this domain were limited.

"We had only one university with two branches: Arts and Sciences. Arabic language was one of three available disciplines in the Faculty of Arts," says Al-Hassan.

Though she wasn't inclined towards any of the three disciplines, her father, the poet Ali Al-Hassan, inspired her choice to pursue Arabic.

"(He) instilled in me and my siblings a love for reading and exploring both Arabic and international literature from an early age," she recalls.

"Perhaps I could only fully embrace my field after years of researching and uncovering its secrets and intricacies. Nevertheless, I admit that it significantly impacted my personality and mindset, leading me to a continuous and profound pursuit of everything that piques my curiosity," she adds.

After completing university, she stumbled upon art "purely by chance".

There were no specialised art studies in her area of Qatif in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. Still, Al-Hassan found her passion through the "tremendous efforts of Professor Asmaa Al-Nasr and the Egyptian visual artist Suheir Al-Jowhari who, for many years, established an academic approach to visual arts for talented individuals through courses organised by the Social Development Committee in Qatif."

"When I learned about these courses, I was exploring other fields of study. It was as though fate had opened the door to my dream and invited me to pursue it," says Al-Hassan.

"I entered the world of art wholeheartedly and learned the fundamentals of visual arts under the guidance of Professor Suheir. Additionally, I attended specialised courses within and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to expand my experiences and knowledge."

Ever-evolving universe

Al-Hassan has often turned to the art of collage to express her artistic inclinations, skillfully manipulating materials to achieve their final form. She frequently adds it into the mix when she's creating, though she rarely uses it independently.

"For me, collaging, in itself, is a means and not an end. I often combine it with other mediums to create visual diversity on the canvas that serves the underlying concept," she says.

The themes of Al-Hassan's work are as varied as her techniques. They range from those reflecting her surroundings to those representing her ever-changing experiences as an artist. Al-Hassan observes the world with great attention, translating it into art.

"Today, the artist is not merely a product of their environment, but rather a creation of this vast and rapidly evolving universe," she says.

"Everything that happens around them influences and leaves a mark on them. If art is the sincere expression of an artist's ideas, vision, and emotions, then it would not be confined to limited intellectual issues as it was in the past. Instead, it would expand with the breadth of human thought, as profound as its depths."

Art and the people

Throughout her career, Al-Hassan has held five exhibitions and participated in numerous others around the world. She has showcased her works in Morocco, Germany, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, China, Czech Republic and others.

She finds that sharing her work with viewers, both at home and abroad, is a key component to growth.

"For any artist to evaluate their artistic journey and understand their position, it is essential to share their experience with others – artists and non-artists alike," she says.

"This act of sharing is important for re-evaluating the artist's work. It transforms the artwork into public property, interacting with people differently. It becomes even more important for the artist when his work is exhibited outside its original environment," she says.

"While art is a universal language, specific characteristics influenced by geographical location leave their mark on artworks worldwide. Therefore, international participation provides the artwork with new spaces and broader skies to soar."

Reflecting on her five solo exhibitions, Al-Hassan says she presented many of her "experiences and research, which have taken a long time to develop and mature."

"A solo exhibition is much like a musical piece played by a single musician with a single instrument. It allows you to interact and resonate with the music, and a feeling rises and falls along with the musician's performance. A solo exhibition is not different from any individual art form that requires a special focus on a single experience."

Al-Hassan also participated in the Diriyah Biennale for Contemporary Art, organised on 11 December 2021 by the Ministry of Culture and the Diriyah Biennale Foundation in her home country. The event holds a special place in Al-Hassan's journey.

"The Diriyah Biennale was a significant event in the history of Saudi art that bears witness to the tremendous efforts made by the Ministry of Culture to establish a thriving art movement that keeps pace with global developments," she says.

"To be one of the participating artists in the first Biennale grants me the honour of contributing to this great historical event that we have been eagerly waiting for. The Diriyah Biennale is a dream come true and marks the beginning of even greater achievements, taking huge strides towards international recognition."

Watering the plant

Through it all, Al-Hassan believes that her artistic growth and development are born from conscious efforts.

"The artistic experience is a living entity; its birth alone does not guarantee its survival. It needs continuous care and attention to grow and thrive. It requires experimentation to broaden its horizons and constant visual and intellectual nourishment," she says.

Progressing as an artist involves innovating and experimenting with different techniques while maintaining your core artistic drive. For example, Al-Hassan describes her experience with pottery and clay; she didn't experiment with it to "specialise", but instead used it to fuel her artistic journey.

Ultimately, Al-Hassan finds that "ambitions and hopes are constant companions of an artist."

"As long as the artist lives, they are in a race against life to leave their mark before departing," she says.

She concludes with a quote from the Russian writer Anton Chekhov, which she often repeats: "He who desires nothing, hopes for nothing, and is afraid of nothing, cannot be an artist."