The Naila Art Gallery in Riyadh will host an exhibition by Saudi artist Fatimah Al Nemer that highlights women from Najd who left their mark on the worlds of culture, literature, and education.

“Malamih Najdia” (Najdi features) is scheduled to begin on Wednesday and features19 portraits. The exhibition runs through March 29.

Nemer explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that she turned to women’s history experts to document these characters and embody them artistically. The process took about six months.

She pointed out that many Saudi women have inspirational stories that deserve to be told, whether on the local or the international level, which prompted her to embark on a project that embodies these stories through art.

One of the characters that she highlights in her exhibition is the first woman to work as a teacher, doing so at a time when society looked down in shame on women with these kinds of professions.

Regarding the way these characters are portrayed in her artwork, she said: “I tried to bring out the characters’ courage so it can be visible to the naked eye through a combination of folkloric clothing and light.

She added that she projected light on the women’s faces in the paintings in order to convey to the viewer the sense that women are capable of anything when they believe in themselves.

The artist pointed out that it is not a coincidence that the exhibition is taking place in March, since International Women’s Day is celebrated that month. She added that the exhibition is a reminder of what women have achieved throughout history and their contributions to the Saudi community.

She also said that the idea for the exhibition came to her after the success of her previous exhibition, “Rehana”, which shed light on the history of women in the city of Al-Qatif.