Manal AlDowayan

Manal Al Dowayan (Arabic: ???? ???????) is a Saudi contemporary artist born in Dhahran in 1973. She studied business administration at Damascus University and worked for an oil company before dedicating herself fully to art. She has been noted for her commitment to exploring the role of women in Saudi society. Al Dowayan has exhibited her work in numerous international art exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale and the USA Biennial in Houston. Her work includes installations, photography, and other media, and often focuses on themes of gender and female empowerment. One of her best-known works is the installation Suspended Together, which she presented at the Home Ground Exhibition at the Barjeel Art Foundation in 2011. In addition to her artwork, Al Dowayan is also a cultural and social activist in her country. She is a founding member of the Saudi Arabian Art Association and has created platforms to help Saudi women artists connect and collaborate with each other. In 2014, she founded an online platform called "Seats of the Dispersed," which invites people to share stories of their loved ones who have been imprisoned or disappeared in Saudi Arabia. Manal Al Dowayan's work has been acquired by several major collections, including the British Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.