Abdulnasser Gharem

Abdulnasser Gharem (; born 4 June 1973) is a Saudi Arabian artist and also a lieutenant colonel in the Saudi Arabian army. In April 2011, his installation Message/Messenger sold for a world record price at auction in Dubai.

Gharem's work is in the collections of the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture and Information, His artwork is characterized by innovative use of materials, including rubber stamps, a collapsed bridge, and an invasive tree.

Early life and education Gharem was born in Khamis Mushait. In 1992 Gharem graduated from the King Abdulaziz Academy before attending the Leader Institute in Riyadh. He has had no formal art training. In 2003 Gharem studied at the Al-Meftaha Arts Village in Abha.

Career In 2004 Gharem and the Al-Meftaha artists staged a group exhibition, Shattah. in Saudi Arabia. Since then Gharem has exhibited in Europe, the Persian Gulf and the United States, including at Martin Gropius-Bau and at the Venice Biennial, Sharjah Biennial and Berlin Biennale.

His first monograph "Abdulnasser Gharem: Art of Survival" was published in London in October 2011.

In 2014 Gharem lives and works in Riyadh. He is the co-founder of the arts initiative Edge of Arabia. Gharem donated the proceeds of his sale to Edge of Arabia to foster art education in his native country.

Selected solo exhibition 2022 | Hospitable Thoughts, Marc Straus gallery, 299 Grand Street, New York, US. (6 September - 18 December 2022).

2020 | Smart Obedience Kluger Gehorsam, Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin, Germany. (12 Sep - 1 Nov, 2020).

2019 | THE SAFE, Art Unlimited, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland. (13 Jun - 16 Jun, 2019).

2018 | Subversive forms of Social Sculpture, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE. (26 Sep - 17 Nov, 2018).

2017 | Abdulnasser Gharem: Pause, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA (Apr 16 – 16 Jun, 2017).

2014 | The Awakening, Ayyam Gallery, Dubai, UAE. (17 Mar - 30 April 2014).

2013 | Edge of Arabia, EOA Gallery, London, UK (9 Oct - 8 Nov, 2013).

2013 | Abdulnasser Gharem, Side by Side Gallery, Berlin, Germany. (25 Apr - 13 Jul, 2013).

2010 | Restored Behaviour, XVA Gallery, Dubai, UAE (17 Jan- 10 Mar, 2010).

2006 | The Path, King Fahd Art Village, Abha, Saudi Arabia.

2004 | The White Tongue Who Speaks Slowly, King Fahad Art Village, Abha, Saudi Arabia.

2004 | Who Keeps Watching the Sun (Sunflower field), Death Mattered – Attileh, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

2003 | Mute, Attileh, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

2003 | UN Inspector, Attileh, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Selected group shows 2021 | Glasstress Boca Raton. Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida, US. (27 Jan - 5 Sep, 2021).

2017 | Desert to Delta: Contemporary Art in Memphis. Art Museum of the University of Memphis. (8 Oct, 2017 - 6 Jan, 2018).

2017 | Memories of a Journey Hajj – Exhibition . Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE. (20 Sep, 2017 - 19 Mar, 2018).

2017 | Cities of Conviction: Contemporary Saudi Art in Salt Lake City. Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (Aug 25, 2016 – Jan 6, 2017).

2017 | Epicenter X: Contemporary Saudi Art in Detroit. Arab American National Museum. Dearborn, MI. (8 Jul - 1 Oct, 2017).

2017 | Glasstress. Palazzo Franchetti, Venice, Italy. (11 May - 26 Nov, 2017).

2016 | Phantom Punch: Contemporary Saudi Aret in Lewiston Bates College Museum of Art. (28 Oct, 2016 - 18 Mar, 2017).

2016 | Genera#ion Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA. (11 Aug - 6 Sep, 2016).

2016 | Gonzo Arabia: Contemporary Saudi Art in Aspen Boogie's Retail, Aspen, Colorado, US. (30 Jun - 1 Sep, 2016).

2016 | Parallel Kingdom, Station Museum, Houston, Texas (8 Jun - 2 Oct, 2016.

2016 | Illumination, New contemporary art at the Louisiana, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark (1 Mar - 11 Sep, 2016).

2015 | Ricochet - Asia House Gallery, London, UK (12 Oct - 18 Oct, 2015).

2015 | Saudi Art Contemporary, Chalet Saqqarah, Gstaad, Switzerland (18 Apr, 2015).

2014 | View from Inside: Contemporary Arab Photography FotoFest, Houston, Texas, USA (14 Mar - 27 Apr, 2014).

2014 | Word and Illumination Le Meridien Medina Hall, Madinah, Saudi Arabia (10 Feb - 15 Apr, 2014).

2014 | Arab Contemporary, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark (31 Jan - 4 May 2014).

2012 | Light from the Middle East: New Photography – Victoria & Albert Museum, London (13 Nov, 2012 – 7 April 2013).

2012 | 25 Years of Arab Creativity Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France (Oct 16, 2012 - Feb 3, 2013.

2012 | #Cometogether, Edge of Arabia London (07 Oct - 28 Oct, 2012).

2012 | Voice of Images – Palazzo Grassi, Venice, Italy (30 Aug, 2012 - 13 Jan, 2013).

2012 | Edge of Arabia: Contemporary Art From Saudi Arabia – Galerie Krinzinger, Seilerstätte, Vienna, Austria (21 Jun - 7 Jul, 2012).

2012 | Arab Express: The Latest Art From the Arab World – Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan (16 Jun – 28 Oct, 2012).

2012 | Porta dell'Oriente – Roma Contemporary, Italy (25 - 27 May 2012).

2012 | Bending History – Katara Cultural Village, Doha Qatar (8 Mar – 8 April 2012).

2012 | Hajj, Journey to the Heart of Islam – British Museum, London (26 Jan-15 Apr, 2012).

2012 | We Need to Talk – Edge of Arabia - Al Furusia Marina, Jeddah (20 Jan - 26 Feb, 2012).

2012 | Contemporary Istanbul – Turkey ( 22-25 Nov, 2012).

2011 | Political Patterns – ifa-Galerie, Berlin (8 Jul - 3 Oct, 2011).

2011 | The Future of a Promise: Contemporary Art from the Arab World – Magazzini del Sale, 54th Venice Biennale (3 Jun - 30 Nov 2011).

2011 | The Bravery of Being Out of Range – Athr Gallery, Jeddah (May 17 – Jun 11, 2011).

2011 |The New Middle East – Willem Baars Projects, Amsterdam (21 May - 30 Jun, 2011).

2011 | Edge of Arabia Dubai: Terminal – Building 9, Gate Village, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai (14 Mar - 15 Apr, 2011).

2011 | Uppers & Downers – Traffic, Dubai (9 Feb - 5 Mar, 2011).

2011 | Nujoom: Constellations of Arab Art from The Farjam Collection – The Farjam Collection @ DIFC, Dubai (Nov, 2010 – Mar, 2011).

2011 | I Don't Need Your Money Honey All I Need is Love – Traffic, Dubai (5 Jan –27 Jan, 2011).

2010 | Edge of Arabia Istanbul: Transition – Sanat Limani, Antrepo 5 (10 Nov - 11 Dec, 2010).

2010 | Opening the Doors: Collecting Middle Eastern Art,Abu Dhabi Art (3 Nov - 7 Nov, 2010).

2010 | CAVE: Contemporary Arab Video Encounter – Maraya Arts Centre, Sharjah (2 Nov - 11 Dec, 2010).

2010 | Emerging Asian Artists, Gwangju Biennale (3 Sep - 7 Nov, 2010.

2010 | Edge of Arabia Berlin: Grey Borders/Grey Frontiers – Soho House, Berlin (10 Jun - 18 Jul, 2010).

2010 | Fuck Ups, Fables and Fiascos – Galerie Caprice Horn, Berlin (8 Jun-17 Sep, 2010).

2010 | Edge of Arabia World Tour Launch – Global Competitiveness Forum, Riyadh (23 Jan-26 Jan, 2010).

2009 | Taswir: Pictorial Mappings of Islam and Modernity – Martin Gropius-Bau, Berlin (5 Nov, 2009 - 18 Jan, 2010).

2009 | The 28th Annual Exhibition – Gulf Fine Arts Society, Sharjah (10 Mar, 2009).

2009 | Edge of Arabia Venice – Palazzo Polignac, 53rd Venice Biennale (5 Jun - 2 Aug, 2009).

2008 | Edge of Arabia London: Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia – SOAS Brunei Gallery, University of London (5 Jun - 2 Aug, 2008).

2007 | Still Life: Art, Ecology and the Politics of Change – Sharjah Biennial 8 (4 Apr - 4 Jun, 2007).

2006 | Son of Aseer – Al-Meftaha Arts Village, Abha (10 Oct - 30 Oct, 2006).

2004 | Shattah – Atelier Gallery, Jeddah (27 Apr - 14 May 2004).

Collections Pinault Collection, Palazzo Grassi | Venice,Italy Louisiana Museum of Modern Art | Humlebaek, Denmark The British Museum | London, England The Victoria and Albert Museum LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Ministry of Culture Saudi Arabia | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia The Jameel Foundation Nadour Collection Greenbox Museum The Barjeel Art Foundation | Sharjah, UAE The Farook Collection The Farjam Collection Kamel Lazaar Foundation BASMOCA, Basma Alsulaiman Museum of Contemporary Art The Dubai Collection | Dubai, UAE Ministry of Culture State of Qatar | Doha,Qatar Guggenheim Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Publications — (2024). Gesine, Borcherdt. Dream On Baby: Artists and Their Childhood Memories. Germany: Hatje Cantz Verlag — (2016). Loring, Danforth. Crossing the Kingdom: Portraits of Saudi Arabia. United States: University of California Press. — (2012). Jameel, Porter, King, Stapleton, Al-Turki. Edge of Arabia: Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia London: Booth Clibborn. — (2012). Porter, Venetia. Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam. London: Harvard University Press. — (2011). Hemming, Henry. Abdulnasser Gharem: Art of Survival. London: Booth-Clibborn. — (2011). Lazaar, Lina and Downey, Anthony. The Future of a Promise. London: Ibraaz.