Ahmed Mater is a Saudi artist and medical doctor born in 1979 in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. His work, which explores the narratives and aesthetics of Islamic culture and addresses consumerism and transformation in the region, has attracted an international audience. He now splits his time between the Saudi Arabian cities of Abha, Jeddah and Makkah.
He is founder of the Al-Meftaha Arts Village in Abha, and co-founded Edge of Arabia in 2003. Since then has attracted international attention for his art, which encompasses photography, calligraphy, painting, installation, performance and video. His work explores the narratives and aesthetics of Islamic culture in an era of globalization, consumerism and transformation. His recent work increasingly uses image and video to explore local collective memory and unofficial histories behind contemporary Saudi Arabian sociopolitical life.