Tuwaiq Sculpture 2026 Announces 25 Participating Artists For Seventh Edition

Tuwaiq Sculpture has confirmed the names of 25 artists for its seventh annual symposium and exhibition, held under the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and Riyadh Art. The event is scheduled to run from 10 January, with participants creating large-scale works that will join Riyadh Art’s permanent public collection.

The selected artists represent 18 countries, including Saudi Arabia, highlighting a broad international presence. Their proposals address the future of cities and communities through sculpture. The works will examine how physical spaces, cultural memory and conceptual ideas leave traces that influence urban life over time.

This edition follows the curatorial concept "Traces of What Will Be," which guides the entire programme. Artists respond by studying transformation, place and materiality through stone and metal. The theme links personal and collective narratives to the changing form of cities, while also encouraging reflection on sustainable and long-lasting public artworks.

Director of the Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium Sarah Alruwayti said: "The seventh edition of Tuwaiq Sculpture received more than 590 applications, reflecting the cultural diversity and global interest in the symposium. The selection of the 25 participating artists was carried out by a jury of industry experts and specialists. Their proposals show meaningful engagement with the theme and reflect the strength and diversity of contemporary sculptural practice. We look forward to welcoming them to Riyadh for the creation of new works that will become lasting additions to the city."

Tuwaiq Sculpture 2026 builds on earlier material experiments by introducing two specific sculpting categories. Twenty artists will carve granite, with the option to integrate stainless steel, while five will work with reclaimed metal. Over four weeks, all participants will produce large-scale sculptures, which are planned as permanent public artworks across Riyadh.

The 2026 edition of Tuwaiq Sculpture includes a month-long live sculpting phase, open to visitors. A community programme will run in parallel, featuring panel discussions and workshops. Members of the public will be able to watch works develop step by step, before a final exhibition presents all completed sculptures from the seventh edition.

Tuwaiq Sculpture, under Riyadh Art and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, links international sculpture practice with local urban development. The seventh edition brings together diverse artists, new material categories and public engagement activities, strengthening Riyadh’s growing network of outdoor artworks and supporting continued discussion about the role of sculpture in shared city spaces.

With inputs from SPA