Daniah Alsaleh describes herself as a visual artist deeply engaged with themes of social conditioning and memory. Her intricate multimedia creations reflect complexity and ambition, earning her accolades such as the 2019 Ithra Art Prize and various prestigious residencies.
From a young age, Alsaleh was drawn to art, but it wasn’t until moving to Jeddah and studying under Safeya Binzagr that she developed her skills in drawing, painting, and color theory. Years of dedication and travel for further education solidified her knowledge of Islamic geometry, ultimately providing her with the confidence to showcase her artwork.
Her journey included her first group exhibition in 2012 and later joining Athr Gallery in 2013, marking her as a full-time artist. After relocating to London in 2014, Alsaleh attempted to enroll in a Master’s program at Goldsmiths but was directed to a course in Computational Arts instead. This pivot dramatically transformed her artistic practice, introducing her to physical computing, coding, and machine learning, which she seamlessly integrates into her art.
Her work often revolves around our interaction with memory and media, addressing the societal norms we accept and how media shapes collective recollections.
Key Works:
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Restitution: A piece from 2017 featuring five hand-drawn Islamic pattern panels with an unexpected brushstroke. It symbolizes the tension between tradition and change, suggesting a need for openness to evolution in artistic practices.
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Sawtam: An audio-visual installation that won the Ithra Art Prize, this work explores communication and expression through an array of sounds and visuals inspired by algorithms, offering commentary on how messages can often become distorted.
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That Which Remains: Created for the Diriyah Biennale, this installation contrasts collective and individual memory as it reflects on the rapid changes in Saudi Arabia, highlighting how personal memories can be overshadowed by national narratives.
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Evanesce: A continuation of research on cultural representation, this project utilizes machine learning to reinterpret images from Iraq and Egyptian cinema, examining the contradictions in how these societies are portrayed versus their rich cultural histories.
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Hinat: Inspired by the story of a Nabatean woman, this installation combines various views of AlUla and projects videos of imagined future generations, utilizing machine learning to depict abstract figures in the landscape.
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E Proxy: A video artwork exploring the impact of emojis on emotional expression, questioning the limits of representation in digital communication and raising the issue of whether such tools enhance or restrict our ability to express ourselves.
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The Gathering: A collaborative project exploring female experiences in Riyadh, using interviews and AI manipulation to depict emotional connections and narratives that transcend cultural boundaries.
- 36: A composite image representing the diverse backgrounds of women participating in "The Gathering," challenging stereotypes about Saudi women and presenting a multicultural perspective of the city.
Alsaleh’s work invites viewers to engage with complex ideas about culture, memory, and the evolving nature of artistic expression in the contemporary world, fostering discussions that resonate beyond her individual pieces.
