Dhahran – BETH

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) – an Aramco initiative – inaugurated today a landmark exhibition titled: “Horizons in Their Hands: Women Artists from the Arab World (1960s–1980s)”, in collaboration with Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah, UAE). The exhibition runs at Ithra’s museum halls until February 14, 2026.

A Message of Cultural Dialogue

Farah Abu Shleih, Head of Ithra Museum, stated:
“This exhibition embodies Ithra’s mission to preserve heritage, amplify diverse voices, and spark dialogue across past, present, and future.”

Curator Rami Homs from Barjeel Foundation added that the show “spotlights 50 pioneering Arab women artists whose works redefined art and blurred the boundaries between fine art, craft, and cultural identity.”

Pioneering Artists

Among the featured artists:

Safia Binzagr (1940–2024, Saudi Arabia) – a pioneer of Saudi art.

Mounira Mosly (1954–2019, Saudi Arabia) – known for using copper, palm fibers, and papyrus.

Inji Aflatoun (1924–1989, Egypt) – renowned for her paintings on freedom.

Chaïbia Talal (1929–2004, Morocco) and Vera Tamari (b. 1945, Palestine) – highlighting memory and homeland.

Suzan Hafuna (b. 1962, Egypt) – exploring identity and urban life.

The show also revisits early modernist figures such as Zeinab Abdel Hamid (1919–2002, Egypt) and Safia Farhat (1924–2004, Tunisia), alongside contemporary voices including Maryam Fakhro (b. 1952, Bahrain) and Souad Alissa (b. 1943, Kuwait).

Art, Craft, and Identity

Through painting, mixed media, and experimental forms, the works reflect themes of identity, memory, migration, tradition, and renewal, offering a new reading of Arab modern art.

Ithra as a Cultural Platform

By hosting this exhibition, Ithra reinforces its role as a platform for global cultural dialogue, nurturing creativity and connecting diverse traditions under one roof.