Made in Makkah® > #Saudi Artists Nasser Al-Salem, Saddek Wasil & Noha Al-Sharif> @Artspace_ #London @AthrArtGallery (October 5-27)

Noha Al-Sharif, Za'i, 2011, Marble and resin aggregate sculpture, H67x22x17 (x2) H89x22x17 (x2) H107x25x17 (x2)  ( Copyright to the artist, Athr Art Gallery and Artspace London)

Nasser Al Salem, God is Alive He Shall Not Die (white), 120 x 120 cm, neon light on mirror (Copyright the artist, Athr Art Gallery and Artspace London)

Running from October 5^th – 27^th, this exciting exhibition is a collaboration with the Jeddah-based Athr Gallery and London's Artspace Gallery. Curated by Raneem Farsi and Aya Alireza, Made in Makkah® will show the works of three Saudi artists from the Holy City of Makkah: Nasser Al-Salem, Noha Al-Sharif, and Saddek Wasil.

Made in Makkah ® demonstrates how being born and raised in this spiritual magnet has shaped the artists’ cultural mentality and faith.

ARTSPACE LONDON and Athr Gallery are proud to present, through mixed media, calligraphy and sculpture, a show exploring how being born and raised in the spiritual capital of Makkah has shaped these artists’ worldviews and how the devotional nature of their work can appeal to a universal spirit of belief.

Visual language has always been a strong expression of different cultural outlooks and worldviews. Art has often offered us a window into that ‘other’ way of looking. This exhibition explores not just how artists from the small town of Makkah view the world, but how their art is an expression of a much more universal paradigm.

Saddek Wasil, Read, 2012, steel and discarded metal ( Copyright the artist, Athr Art Gallery and Artspace London)

Nasser Al-Salem

Nasser Al-Salem’s works, God is Alive, He Shall Not Die and Kul, are explorations of the infinite

and of humanity’s inability to comprehend it. Al-Salem’s work represents his continuous attempts at understanding the omnipresence and omnipotence of the creator, an act of dhikr (remembrance). Al-Salem is a calligrapher whose primary focus is not only the beauty of the written word; but just as importantly, the message that it conveys.

Noha Al-Sharif

Noha Al-Sharif creates sculptures of groups of women performing the ritual of the Islamic prayer. Made from marble and resin, the sculptures evoke a feeling of peace and unity. The work represents the power of group prayer, which Islam encourages as having greater spiritual benefits.

Saddek Wasil

Saddek Wasil’s metallic sculptures illustrate the essence and the diversity of Makkah through his depictions of those who visit the Holy City to be closer to God. He is a witness to their daily and innermost struggles when they are at their most vulnerable and transparent - before God. His work is in no way judgemental, but rather about understanding, acceptance, tolerance and the acknowledgement of the unknown.

Made in Makkah ® opens a window into the elusive world of Islam. However, the true message conveyed by these three artists is much more universal - a belief in something greater than oneself.