The New York–based auction house Bonhams will launch its first initiative in Saudi Arabia next month with “Judhoor / Roots: The Origins of Saudi Modernism,” a three-day exhibition opening October 8 at the newly renovated LIFT Gallery in Riyadh’s JAX District. The show will be followed by a London auction on November 25.
The exhibition surveys the emergence of modern art in Saudi Arabia, from early pioneers such as Abdulrahman Al Soliman, Safeya Binzagr, and Mohamed Al Saleem to artists who came to prominence during the 1980s and later. Highlights include Al Saleem’s horizon paintings, Al Soliman’s 1981 depiction of Al-Ahsa oasis made with local soil, and archival material from Dar Al-Fnoon, Saudi Arabia’s first modern art space.
The initiative plans to foreground female voices in Saudi art history, notably Binzagr—trained at Central Saint Martins in London and the first woman to stage a solo exhibition in Saudi Arabia—whose landmark cycle documenting traditional attire will be on view. Works by Bakr Sheikhoun, Abdullah Al Shaikh, and other leading figures are also included.
A panel discussion will accompany the exhibition at Maison Assouline near Diriyah, cohosted by collectors Taha Al Kuwaiz and Muneera Al Touq, with artists and scholars including Al Soliman, Najla Al Saleem, Lulwah AlHomoud, and Nada Al Rakaf. The program is part of Bonhams’s broader expansion in the Middle East.
As part of that expansion, Bonhams has appointed Suzy Sikorski as business development director for the Middle East. With over a decade of experience in 20th- and 21st-century art, particularly Middle Eastern modern and contemporary work, Sikorski has built close relationships with collectors, institutions, and cultural partners worldwide. Based between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, she will lead strategic client development and sourcing across the region’s art and luxury markets, supporting both global sales and private initiatives.