Ben Uri Research Unit

Born: 1997

Year of Migration to the UK: 2021

Other name/s: Zayn al Qahtani

Biography

Multidisciplinary artist, Zayn Qahtani was born in Bahrain in 1997. Raised in A’ali, her artistry deeply resonates with Bahrain’s heritage, especially those elements on the margins of collective memory. Qahtani’s curiosity lies in the Dilmun civilisation - or Telmun, an ancient East Semitic-speaking civilisation in Eastern Arabia with its epicentre in present-day Bahrain - a historical centre of trade and mythological narratives. London, with its dynamic ambiance, fascinated her since a visit at the age of nine. After secondary school in 2014, she pursued fashion studies at Bahrain’s Royal University for Women, obtaining a BA in Fashion Design. Post-graduation in 2019, Zayn visited India and Georgia, among other countries, until the pandemic halted her travels, leading her back to her studio in Bahrain’s Amwaj Islands. During the hiatus caused by the pandemic, her creative process found stillness. Zayn later spent an influential period in 2021 in Whitchurch, Hampshire, England. Her artistic journey expanded with her attendance at The Drawing Intensive at the Royal Drawing School, London. Additionally, in 2020, she enrolled in an online Sound Therapy programme at Toronto’s Institute of Traditional Medicine.

From her earliest memories, Qahtani has immersed herself in art, with her oeuvre now encompassing various mediums, including painting, sketching, and sculpting. She consistently uses specific earthy and natural pigments, with recent explorations into amethyst and malachite. Her artistic practice has persistently delved into the realms of the imagination, drawing inspiration from ancient civilisations and her profound emotional experiences. Deeply connected to Earth’s intricate ecosystems, she crafts her art materials organically, deriving pigments from nature and repurposing materials. Qahtani merges the perceptible with the abstract, crafting a unique mythology. Her pieces hover in an ethereal space, echoing elements surreal yet eerily familiar, and conjuring imagery of a post-human society. By emphasising the philosophy of animism, her creations vibrate with the essence of the environment, infusing each piece with an innate life force, whilst exploring poignant human sentiments.

In The Beginning (2022) is an exemplar piece of Qahtani's oeuvre to date. In it, she references Sumerian tales of Dilmun as a divine paradise and figures such as Ninhursag, the revered Mesopotamian deity. This sculpture centres on two figures, sculpturally embodying elements of creation. Notably, her pieces hint at Bahrain's desert-like present, suggesting ancient tales have withered with its land. In this piece, Zayn’s background in textiles is evident through her use of materials such as acrylic beads. Her work, Ninhursag’s Ritual (2022), touches on the underrepresentation of historic goddesses, depicting women in uninhibited celebration. Employing natural pigments, artworks such as Growing Pains (2021) resonate with images of Dilmun’s historic greenery, while Touch (An Absence of Feeling) (2021) portrays intimacy during isolation, reflecting her personal health challenges. Qahtani 's struggle with uveitis (inflammation of the eye's middle layer), has sometimes compromised her colour perception, leading her to create monochrome pieces such as if you’re listening (2021).

Angels In Purgatory at the VITRINE Gallery, London in 2023 was her debut solo show with works that looked into the Nephilim, mysterious beings from the Hebrew Bible, to examine themes of destruction, resurrection and rebirth. Qahtani has been recognised with awards including the YSA ‘21 Honorary Grant and selection by ATHR Gallery, Saudi Arabia (2021). Presently, Zayn Qahtani divides her time between Bahrain and London, England. Her work is not ucrrently held in the UK public domain; however, Soho House, the Dalloul Art Foundation, and The Ned hotel in London all feature her artwork in their collections.