Adel AlQuraishi

Vastlands, Vast Faces

Through his work, Adel AlQuraishi emphasizes the importance of capturing moments in time. Documented between 2002-2003, his series ‘Faces of the Great Nafūd Desert’ is a striking look into the persistence of holding on tightly to an unshifting culture, a well-known Bedouin habit of seeing the power that lies within tradition and community. The world is ever-changing around them, yet they cling to what they know, grasping onto the comforts of home and the familiar. AlQuraishi’s compositions are often juxtaposed between harsh settings, weathered faces, and soft tenderness. Not only does his work preserve history, but it also manages to preserve the depth of a human soul in one frame. Like that of Ateeg and Mohammad, the poet, these faces in AlQuraishi’s work carry behind them generations' worth of stories, traditions, and wisdom.

'The Grave Digger' boldly captures the melancholy life of a grim profession. Its subject, Idris, is seen looming over the viewer and serves as a humble reminder that the only certainty we have in life is death. Photographed in the late 1990s, the image stands as a testament to time because it expresses that the goal of life is not to live forever but to create something that will. Although this is an unambiguous notion, humankind can rest assured knowing that we are cared for in almost all elements of life and death.

Adel AlQuraishi was born in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Intrigued by photography at an early age, the artist was set on capturing the world around him. AlQuraishi specialized in photographing the two holy mosques. He was the first to officially publish photographs of the Guardians of the Prophet’s Mosque and the first photographer who was granted permission to photograph the Key of the Prophet’s Chamber.

AlQuraishi had his first solo exhibition titled ‘The Guardians’ at the Leighton House Museum in London (2015). Moreover, he participated in a number of group exhibitions; the ‘Words and Illuminations’ exhibition in Al Madinah (2014) and ‘Bab Jeddah’ at the L’Art Pur Gallery in Riyadh (2016).

AlQuraishi’s artworks have been acquired by many institutions such as The Ministry of Culture in Saudi Arabia, The British Museum, The National Museum ‘Van Wereldculturen’ in the Netherlands, BASMOCA, The Khalili Collection, and the ‘Green Box Museum of Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia’ in Amsterdam.