Oasis of Stories

AlDowayan (b.1973, KSA) is a multi-media artist whose works are often made with the participation of a host of collaborators.Together they reveal untold stories about places and people - in particular women. She is creating a major new installation for Wadi AlFann, or Valley of the Arts, inspired by the 900-year-old settlement of AlUla. AlDowayan will create a labyrinth of sculpted walls that retrace the footprint of the old town, appearing like a mirage in the desert. 

The artist asked local communities to create pictograms that symbolise their life in AlUla which she will inscribe on the walls of her desert installation. Their remarkable drawings are presented here, and every picture tells a story. The artist connects them with a pre-historic tradition of rock art. Just as travellers once carved animals, goods, prayers and salutations into Wadi AlFann's cliffs, so the people of AlUla will leave their mark in the desert for future generations.

Through the artist's participatory workshops, over 700 drawings were created. They are presented according to themes such as family, home, landscape, culture and ritual.