An illuminating look at one of the Middle East’s most fascinating contemporary artists, this survey is the first to explore the extraordinary life and work of Saudi artist Dr Ahmed Mater. Mater’s work, exhibited at the Venice Biennale and in the collections of the British Museum and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is informed by his education and life as a medical doctor, as well as by his traditional religious upbringing and Saudi culture. His work, which encompasses photography, calligraphy, painting, installation and video, explores the narratives and aesthetics of Islamic culture in an era of globalization, consumerism and dramatic flux.

The book examines four of Mater’s most important artistic projects, and includes contributions from leading scholars and commentators writing from London, Riyadh, Los Angeles, Paris, Abha, Sana’a and Amsterdam. Catherine David’s foreword positions Mater’s work within the cultural context of the Arabian Gulf, while the book’s elegant design evokes the artist’s Middle Eastern sensibility.