BONHAMS ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER INITIATIVE IN SAUDI ARABIA WITH JUDHOOR / ROOTS: THE ORIGINS OF SAUDI MODERNISM

Left: Riyadh’s JAX District, where the exhibition is taking place Right: Abdulrahman Al Soliman (Saudi Arabia, born 1954) Mountain Amongst the Palms. Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000.

Bonhams is delighted to announce its first-ever initiative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Judhoor / Roots: The Origins of Saudi Modernism, an exhibition and associated programme of events opening at the newly renovated LIFT Gallery in Riyadh’s JAX District from 8–10 October 2025. The gallery is owned by HRH Princess Nouf bint Abdulaziz Al Saud and is situated in the heart of the capital’s new vibrant creative hub.

Safeya Binzagr (Saudi Arabia, 1940-2024) Traditional Attire Estimates_30,000 - 50,000

Judhoor / Roots traces the emergence and transformation of Saudi Arabia’s modern art scene, from the pioneering contributions of artists such as Abdulrahman Al Soliman, Safeya Binzagr, and Mohamed Al Saleem, through to the ambitious voices of the 1980s and beyond. Nima Sagharchi, Group Head of Middle Eastern Art, comments: “This is the first auction-house curated exhibition of local modern art in the Kingdom, highlighting the deep roots of Saudi modernism and uncovering a largely overlooked history, one that foregrounds the narratives that predate today’s flourishing cultural moment.”

Abdullah Al Shaikh (Saudi Arabia, born 1936) The Awakening Estimates_40,000 - 60,000

The exhibition brings together seminal works of Saudi modernism alongside important documentary and archival material. Among the highlights is a horizon painting by Mohammed Al Saleem from the 1980s, inspired by his abstraction of the Riyadh skyline viewed from the desert. Also on view is one of Abdulrahman Al Soliman’s most intimate works, a 1981 painting of Al-Ahsa oasis, created with desert soil he collected on childhood visits. Archival material from Dar Al-Fnoon, Saudi Arabia’s first modern art space, founded by Al Saleem, adds crucial context to the story.

Significantly, Judhoor also features several leading female voices in the Saudi Art scene. The exhibition marks the first time an auction house has presented the work of Safeya Binzagr, a graduate of Central Saint Martins in the 1960s and the first female artist to hold a solo exhibition in Saudi Arabia. Her celebrated 31-work cycle documenting traditional attire is a landmark in the visual preservation of Saudi cultural identity. Other highlights include Bakr Sheikhoun’s Portrait of a Woman, a powerful early expression from an artist who would later become the Kingdom’s first conceptual practitioner.

Left: Mohammed Al Saleem (Saudi Arabia, 1939-1997) Untitled (From the Horizon Series). Right: Bakr Sheikhoun (Saudi Arabia, born 1946) Head of a Woman.

Works featured in Judhoor / Roots will subsequently appear in Bonhams’ 25 November auction in London.

Building on the exhibition, a panel discussion will be held at Maison Assouline, located near the historical district of Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The event will be co-hosted by collectors Taha Al Kuwaiz and Muneera Al Touq. The panel will include Najla Al Saleem, artist and daughter of Mohamed Al Saleem; Abdulrahman Al Soliman, one of Saudi Arabia’s most renowned modern artists; Lulwah AlHomoud, an award winning Saudi artist and curator; academic Nada Al Rakaf; and will be moderated by Arab art specialist Fadia Antar.

Participating artists: Abdulhalim Radwi, Abdulrahman Al Soliman, Abdullah Al Shaikh, Bakr Sheikhoun, Ibrahim Al Fassam, Khalid Al Owais, Mohammed Al Saleem, Najla Al Saleem, Ola Hejazi, Safeya Binzagr, Saud Al Qahtani, Taha Al Sabban, and Wedad Alahmadi.

Exhibition dates: 8–10 October 2025
Location: LIFT Gallery, JAX District, Riyadh

The announcement comes after the appointment of Suzy Sikorski as Business Development Director in The Middle East. Read more HERE.

About The Bonhams Network

Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.

Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement.

In 2023, Bonhams achieved 14% growth with $1.14 billion in turnover. Recent important auctions and landmark single-owner collections, include the white glove sales of Sir Michael Caine: The Personal Collection, Alain Delon: Sixty Years of Passion; Sir Roger Moore: The Personal Collection; Personal Property of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and The Robert & Jean-Pierre Rousset Collection of Asian Art: A Century of Collecting. Other notable single-owner sales included The Estate of Barbara Walters: American Icon; The Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; The Crown Auction: Props and Costumes and The Claude de Marteau Collection.

Top lots for 2023 include 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta, Sold at Quail Lodge, US for US$30,255,000. Tipu Sultan’s Bedchamber Sword (sold in London for £14m – a world record for both an Islamic and an Indian object); Paul Signac (1863-1935), Sisteron, 1902. Sold for US$8,580,000 (estimate US$4-6 million), and Claude Monet (1840-1926), La Seine près de Giverny, 1888. Sold for US$6,352,500 (estimate US$4-6m), both from the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; A Gilt Copper Alloy figure of Virupaksha, Central Tibet, Densatil Monastery, Early 15th century. Sold for HK$37.9m (£4,060,326) in Hong Kong. Yoshitomo Nara (born 1959) Three Stars. Sold for HK$36,754,000 (£3,930,914), also in Hong Kong. 

For more information about these auctions and others featured By Bonhams, please visit their site. Bonhams can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Pinterest.