Mona Saudi

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Mona Saudi
Mona Saudi 2.jpg
Saudi in 2013
Born(1945-10-01)1 October 1945
Died16 February 2022(2022-02-16) (aged 76)
NationalityJordanian [1]
Education École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris (1973)
Known forSculptor, publisher, activist
MovementModernist
Spouse
Hasan Batal
(m. 1978)
Children1

Mona Saudi (Arabic : منى السعودي) (1 October 1945 – 16 February 2022) was a Jordanian sculptor, publisher, and art activist.

Contents

Life and career

Mona Saudi was born in Amman, Jordan. [2] Her mother was Syrian, while her paternal family had roots in Hejaz. [3] Saudi grew up in a neighbourhood that was metres away from the Nymphaeum (ancient Roman public baths). The proximity to a historic site gave her a profound respect for Jordan's ancient art heritage, as well as providing her with a source of inspiration for her sculptures. [4]

Saudi attended Zain Al-Ashraf School. [3] As a teenager, growing up in Amman, she knew that she wanted to move to Beirut, the then centre of the Arab arts scene, and become a full time artist. At the age of 17 years, she ran away from home, taking a taxi to Beirut. [4] In an interview with the Gulf News, she explained that she left home without her father's permission because in her family, women were banned from attending university. [5]

In Beirut, she met influential artists, poets and intellectuals, including Adonis, Paul Guiragossian and Michel Basbous, and became part of their social circle. [5] She held her first exhibition in a Beirut cafe, and from this raised sufficient funds to purchase a ticket to Paris. [5]

She enrolled at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and graduated in 1973. [6] In Paris, she began using stone as a medium for her sculpture and had been using it ever since. [5]

Saudi married Palestinian journalist Hasan (or Hassan) Batal in 1976. Their daughter Dia Batal (1978–2023) was a London-based visual artist. [3]

Saudi died on 16 February 2022, at the age of 76. [7]

Work

Saudi mainly sculpts in stone. She used stones from around the world to create her sculptures. [8] Outside of her country, Saudi was one of the best known Jordanian artists. [9] Her subject matter explored themes of growth and creation.

Select list of sculptures

Selected solo exhibitions

Selected group exhibitions

See also

References

  1. "Mona Saudi".
  2. Krishna Kumar, N.P., "Mona Saudi’s Aesthetic Journey", Gulf News, 11 July 2018, Online:
  3. 1 2 3 Pham, Naomi; Chalala, Eli. "Mona al-Saudi (1945-2022): The Sculptor Who Befriended Stone and Challenged Traditions". Al Jadid. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 Gronlund, M., "The Remarkable Career of Jordanian Artist, Mona Saudi," The National, 18 May 2018, Online:
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kalsi, J., "Mona Saudi Creates Poetry in Stone," Gulf News, 24 June 2015 Online:
  6. "Mona Saudi". Arizona State University. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  7. Badih, Samia (17 February 2022). "Jordanian artist and sculptor Mona Saudi dies at 76". The National News. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  8. Volk, Katherine. "Poetry In Stone Mona Saudi". ArtAsiaPacific. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  9. Teller 2002, p. 425.
  10. Krishna Kumar, N.P., "Mona Saudi’s Aesthetic Journey," Gulf News, 11 July 2018, Online:

Bibliography