Muhamad Haider is a painter from Jeddah and president of the Saudi House of Artists. His work can be seen in galleries on his personal website. There is also a list of selected group and solo exhibitions since 1999 both at home and abroad. The galleries on his website show a variety of approaches to the art of catching our eye, that the artist used over changing periods of time. In the first gallery are images of his early works which were made before 1999 when he was endeavouring to paint reality. Then his second gallery (1999-2001) is more interesting. While some Saudi artists seem to make this conscious decision to paint in an abstract style, it is evident from his work that Haider went to the Jeddah coastline and bathed his eyes in the chaotic behavior of waves that meet the shore. From this his painting may have turned to abstraction by a longing to join the swim. Great painters like William Turner would have given a nod of approval. But this avenue Haider did not pursue for long. In 2002 he turned into the desert with a style of slight abstraction with references to Saudi traditions and religion. What abstraction is there in an Arab horseguard, but for speed and what more abstraction is needed than the truth in an image of Kaaba? After 2005 Haider leaves this style again and comes up with a range of experiments. But he keeps with him his deconstruction of a traditional ornament. Have a look at the journey of the triangles in his paintings and how the black ones keep their distance and stick together.  
      

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