Rashed AlShashai
Born in Al Baha in 1977, Rashed AlShashai is a Saudi-based contemporary artist and educator. He is a founding member of the Saudi Arabia Fine Arts Society and the Art Education Society, and in 2009, he founded the Tasami Centre for Visual Arts in Jeddah, an independent venue that he oversaw until 2014. He is currently the director of the Madina Arts Centre.
In his practice, AlShashai questions the relationship between commonplace events and objects, as well as more general philosophical issues like the impact of modernising society on the individual, the role of the media in our lives, and the devaluing effects of consumerism, in order to better understand the social context and surroundings of his creations. His work charts the social changes and divisions that occur concomitantly with development.
The development of AlShashai’s practice was influenced by his participation in both the domestic and international art scenes. He curated and created the scenography for a number of international art exhibitions and has served as a cultural consultant for international organisations. His work has been displayed in local and international exhibitions.
“The gate to the east, 10 meters high and 16 meters wide, is a multileveled pyramid mainly made of environment-friendly bamboo. Its ascension, mirroring the undulating mountains in Chongqing, brings out the vibrancy of the city”.
