

Maha Malluh
Maha Malluh’s work is rooted in her native country of Saudi Arabia and the significant changes it has undergone since the oil wealth transformed it into the complex patchwork of tradition, globalization and consumer culture. As a conceptual artist, her installations examine the emblematic and cultural symbols of Saudi Arabian civilization. Building on her Food for Thought series, Malluh has ventured out of the perimeters of her household into the wider Saudi environment. The objects she uses are no longer smaller personal items, but what can be described as historic items that represent the collective identity of Saudi society. The sculpture encompasses plate towers, made from old chinco plates (enamelled dishes), aluminium pots and pot covers, which are bound together to form towers. These massive dishes with their vintage feel were a common feature of a typical Saudi dinner table, usually laid on the floor with the contents shared by the diners. They are remnants of a nomadic tradition, when meals prepared, never for only one or two people, but for an entire extended family of relatives and friends. The towers symbolize modernity and urbanisation, while Malluh’s use of these nostalgic dishes is an appeal to the younger generations to hold on to the traditions that count, and to resist completely surrendering to a fast-paced life, with all its modern temptations.