Founded 1989 | Abha, Saudi Arabia
Exterior of the site that housed Ahmed Mater’s first studio in Al Muftaha Arts Village.
Ahmed Mater joined Al Meftaha as a resident artist in 2001 and in 2002 established the influential Shatta Group. Founded in 1989 in Abha by HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, then Governor of Asir, Al-Muftaha Art Village stands as a pioneering cultural initiative in Saudi Arabia. Designed to foster artistic expression and community engagement, the village brought together studios, galleries, a public theatre, artisan shops, and a mosque, all within a unique architectural setting inspired by traditional Asiri design.
“As a young medical student drawn to creative expression, I found in Al Muftaha Art Village the freedom to explore, experiment, and learn. It was there, among the studios of pioneering Arab artists such as Abdulhalim Radwi and Hassan Obaid, that I established my first studio and took my earliest steps into the world of contemporary art. The village played a crucial role in shaping my artistic voice. It offered not just tools and space, but a living dialogue between heritage and modernity, tradition and experimentation. Al Muftaha Art Village remains a reference point in my journey."
Ahmed Mater
