Contemporary artist's works explore ever-evolving Saudi Arabia

The first large-scale solo exhibition by a contemporary Saudi artist in China, Ahmed Mater: Antenna, celebrated its opening on March 7 with the scent of cardamom-flavored coffee at UCCA Edge in Shanghai.

Mater, 46, is one of Saudi Arabia's most important contemporary artists. The physician-turned artist has documented and scrutinized the realities of contemporary Saudi Arabia for decades. Using a wide range of media from painting and photography to sculpture and installations, he creates conceptual works that explore collective memories of Saudi history — from the oil boom to the rapid transformation of society.

The exhibition, running until June 8, is a mid-career retrospective featuring more than 100 artworks, including Mater's major series and milestones, offering a comprehensive overview of his practices, formal and thematic explorations and documentary reflections at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's vibrant visual arts ecosystem in parallel to the rapidly evolving social and historical developments of his native land, according to Philip Tinari, director of the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.