Tracing the Absent

Weaving tradition into contemporary art pays homage to ancestral practices and creates a dialogue between the old and the new, allowing for the creative reinterpretation and revival of traditions. This integration serves as a pathway for these traditions to remain vitally relevant in the contemporary world while continuously evolving and resonating with the dynamic nature of our present time.

Traditions are an integral part of human culture. They play a significant role in shaping our identities, strengthening social bonds, and passing down knowledge through generations. Rooted in history and often infused with symbolic meaning, traditions provide a sense of continuity and stability in an ever-changing world. The artists of this exhibition explore various aspects of human life, including folkloric practices, social customs, community rituals, ancestral legacies transmitted across generations and intertwined with traditional architecture, and transformations experienced by locals amidst urbanization.

The Misk Art Grant: Tracing the Absent displays works by five artists from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as part of Misk Art Institute’s fourth annual grant program to help support and promote emerging and mid-career artists. The artworks in this exhibition emerge from an ongoing exploration that center around fading traditional practices, inherited legacies, and enduring social customs that form a vital part of our identity. 

Misk Art Grant Recipients:

Abdulla Buhijji 


Mohamed Almubarak


Hayfa Algwaiz 


Hussain Alismail 


Maisa Shaldan 

Misk Art Grant Committee:

Ahmed Mater


Basma Alshathry 


Konstantinos Chatziantoniou 


Maya Elkhalil


Myrna Ayad