The King Abdulaziz Center for World Cultures (Ithra) is showcasing the works of five artists shortlisted for the seventh edition of the Ithra Art Prize, one of the region’s most notable art awards. The exhibition, running through October, features contemporary works by Aseel Al-Yaqoub from Kuwait, Bady Dalloul from Syria/France, Heba Y. Amin El-Mahamly from Egypt, Ala Younis from Kuwait, and Jawad Al-Malhi from Palestine. The winner will receive a $100,000 grant and their work will be added to Ithra’s permanent collection.

Aseel Al-Yaqoub’s installation, titled "Flora Incognita," uses 3D-printed plant sculptures, steel cabinets, and graphite drawings to revisit the history of botanical classification in the Gulf region. Her work interrogates traditional systems of categorization that often relied on naming unknown plants based on their similarity to known species, along with geographic references embedded in Latin nomenclature. By presenting plants that exist in a state of ambiguity—neither fully native nor entirely foreign—Al-Yaqoub’s piece questions how systems of documentation influence perception and memory.

Bady Dalloul’s contribution, "Drawing in Matchboxes," is part of a long-running series he began in 2016, comprised of more than 800 miniature drawings on matchboxes. Initially, the images reflected scenes from the Syrian Civil War as viewed through various media during his residence in France. Dalloul described the practice as a coping mechanism, transforming distressing images into more approachable visual records. His more recent works document his experiences living in Japan and serve as a visual journal.

Heba Y. Amin El-Mahamly’s shortlisted work, "The Last Carrier: Iteration I," is a screenprint inspired by a 1719 engraving by French traveler Paul Lucas depicting a Mahmal procession from Cairo to Makkah. Her piece reinterprets the historical image—traditionally shaped by fantasy, authority, and Orientalist curiosity—into fragmented textile panels, challenging the original as a spectacle. The artwork invites a critical reflection on postcolonial visual regimes by shifting agency to those who were once portrayed as mere subjects.

Jawad Al-Malhi’s "Ashes of Absence" features figures rendered in shades of gray, positioned in indistinct, undefined spaces. The paintings evoke themes of fragility, loss, and memory, depicting solitary figures who seem haunted by the absence of others. Through ghostly traces and suspended stillness, the work contemplates how individuals are persistently marked by those who are no longer present.

The exhibition at Ithra offers a diverse exploration of contemporary Middle Eastern art through various media and thematic lenses, reflecting on identity, memory, and history. The winner of the Ithra Art Prize will be announced at the close of the exhibition in October.