Journalist, Former Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar Art and Harper’s Bazaar Interiors
Rebecca Anne Proctor is an independent journalist, editor, author, and broadcaster based in Dubai and Rome, from where she covers the Middle East and North Africa. She is the former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar Art and Harper’s Bazaar Interiors. Her writing has been published in Artnet News, Frieze, The New York Times Style Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East, BBC Worldwide, Galerie, Vogue Arabia, Wallpaper, The National, Architectural Digest, Arab News, Al-Monitor, The Defense Post, The Forward, The Jewish Insider, and The Business of Fashion. Her book Art in Saudi Arabia: A New Creativity Economy?, co-authored with Alia Al-Senussi, was published by Lund Humphries in November 2023.
Collaborations between the Gulf Arab states and Asia underscore a growing sentiment that culturally there is more in common between the Gulf and the Far East than there is between the Gulf and the West.
Landmark exhibitions of Saudi art in London, including the first mid-career solo show of Saudi artist Ahmed Mater at Christie’s London, reflect the role that auction houses are playing in galvanizing the Gulf art scene, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
“Norah” explores the importance of artistic expression even when art creation was banned in the kingdom.
Exhibitions staged by four Gulf countries look to the past and present while seeking to redress contemporary misconceptions and advocate for change.
While beautifying the kingdom, public art projects in Saudi Arabia engage Saudis and at the same time foster cross-cultural dialogue.
On January 19, AGSIW hosted a discussion on art in Saudi Arabia.
Without the formation of private art institutions in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom’s cultural scene would not be where it is today.
