Hanan Bahamdan

Hanan Abdullah Bahamdan (Arabic: حنان باحمدان; born 1966) is a Saudi visual artist, known for her portraits.

Biography

Hanan Abdullah Bahamdan was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1966. Her father, Abdullah Bahamdan, previously served as chairman of the Saudi National Bank; her brother is the businessman and equestrian Kamal Bahamdan.

Bahamdan began painting in her early 20s. She first studied art and exhibited her work in Riyadh, holding her inaugural show at her own home in 1991. She earned a bachelor's in business administration from King Saud University.

She later moved to Egypt and London to work and study, spending two years under the mentorship of the Egyptian pastel artist Mohamed Sabry. She has a diploma in portraiture from London's Heatherley School of Fine Art.

Bahamdan is primarily known for her portraits. Arab News describes her work as "filled with a sense of suppressed agitation or latent distress through the disconcerted expressions of her subjects." She often depicts those who go overlooked, as in Mannci ("The Forgotten"), her 2007 portrait of a working-class Egyptian man, which was the first piece by a female Saudi artist to be auctioned by Sotheby's. This body of work is documented in the 2009 book Art of Forgotten Faces.

Her work is held in various private collections as well as by Saudi Arabia's General Presidency for Youth Welfare and Ministry of Labor.

Selected exhibitions

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Hanan Bahamdan". Greenbox Dictionary of Saudi Arabian Artists. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "HANAN BAHAMDAN (B. 1966), UNTITLED Available For Immediate Sale At Sotheby's". Sotheby's. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Derhally, Massoud A. (2007-11-28). "Saudi artist's successful sale helps weaken barriers for fellow females". Chicago Tribune.
  4. ↑ "Hanan Bahamdan". Arabian Business. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  5. 1 2 Meyer, Henry (2010-05-06). "Saudi artists set for boom as king supports global drive". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  6. 1 2 "Hanan Bahamdan". Swana Chronicles. 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  7. ↑ Mossalli, Marriam (2010-11-24). "Arab artists bare themselves". Arab News. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  8. ↑ Kamel, Deena (2021-06-07). "How Saudi Arabia's women are pushing into the workforce and transforming the economy". The National. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  9. ↑ "Art of Forgotten Faces". Al Waraqoon. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  10. ↑ "Saudi female artist opens exhibition in Cairo". Saudi Press Agency. 2005-09-15.
  11. ↑ Branca, Elizabeth (2018-12-18). "Work in progress: essential galleries of Riyadh's blossoming art scene". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2025-03-14.