Khaled Zaki poses next to his work displayed at Forever Is Now exhibition, at Pyramids Plateau, in 2024. (Photo: Khaled Zaki Instagram)
Titled From Then to Now: Joy in the Struggle of Making, the 6th edition of the live Tuwaiq Sculpture International Symposium will bring together 30 local and international artists from 23 countries to craft public artworks that blend into Riyadh's urban environment.
The symposium will be followed by an exhibition showcasing the finished pieces from 12 to 14 February.
Zaki is the only Egyptian artist participating in this year's symposium. Other sculptors include seven Saudi artists, two from Russia, and one from Qatar, Iran, China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Argentina, and Australia.
Khaled Zaki
Born in 1964 in Suez, Khaled Zaki is an internationally renowned Egyptian artist known for his work in sculptures and installations.
Zaki holds an MA in restoration from Cairo University's Faculty of Archaeology and studied sculpture at the Al Khonaini Museum of Art in Giza.
From 1988 to 1997, Zaki lived in Pietrasanta, a medieval town in northern Tuscany known as the City of Artists.
His work is influenced by various sources, including ancient Egyptian statues, Italian Renaissance sculpture, and the heritage of Egyptian modernism.
He has exhibited widely worldwide, including representing the Egyptian Commission at the 55th International Venice Biennale in 2013. In 2017, he displayed The Lost Treasure project at the 7th Beijing International Biennale.
Khaled Zaki’s works can also be found in the British Museum, London (UK), the Egyptian Museum for Modern Art (Cairo), and the Egyptian Museum for Modern Sculpture (Aswan), as well as in private collections in Belgium, Germany, USA, UK, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Taiwan, Kuwait, KSA, Oman, and UAE.
Tuwaiq Sculpture
The 6th edition of the Tuwaiq Sculpture International Symposium 2025 will take place in the Tuwaiq Mountain range, located in central Saudi Arabia, just to the west of the capital city, Riyadh.
Launched in 2019, Tuwaiq Sculpture is a key component of the Riyadh Art Programme.
"The Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium seeks to foster artistic and cultural exchange through community partnerships, workshops, panel discussions, and various activities. It also aims to integrate artistic practices into the cultural landscape of Riyadh," reads the Symposium's promotional material.
The 2025 symposium is curated by architect and artist Sebastián Betancur-Montoya (lead curator) and sculpture specialist Manal Al-Harbi (associate curator).
The participants were chosen from more than 750 applications submitted from 80 countries.
"In parallel with the live sculpting sessions, the symposium will offer a dynamic public community engagement programme, actively involving local communities through school and university visits, hands-on workshops, and insightful panel discussions led by art, sculpture, and urbanism experts. Participating artists will have the chance to share their skills and knowledge, fostering a deeper appreciation for public art by the broader audience," reads the official announcement.
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