Quarter Tone

Fenaa Alawwal in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh presents Quarter Tone, a solo exhibition by Naseer Shamma, from 7 October to 7 November 2026. Organised by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the show brings together abstract wall works that Shamma makes from the sawdust and wood offcuts left over when an oud is built. Large textured reliefs in greens and earth colours hang beside rows of small framed panels.

The title refers to the quarter tone, the narrow interval between two notes that gives Arabic music much of its character and that is prominent in oud playing. Shamma, born in Kut in 1963 and known first as an oud player, treats the waste of the instrument maker's workshop as a painting material. Mixed with pigment, the sawdust builds thick, ridged surfaces with a three-dimensional texture.

The Arabic title adds a subtitle that translates as Geology of the Soul. According to the wall text, most of the works also take in recycled matter such as soil and dust. The palette runs from blue circles and golden fields to greys marked with red and black. Several ouds stand on a white plinth in the gallery. Two wooden sound boxes each play a short piece of music tied to one emotion: love, grief, longing or belonging.

Shamma first showed his paintings in Half Life at Etihad Modern Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi in 2024. An earlier showing titled Quarter Tone took place at Al Bab Gallery, on the grounds of the Cairo Opera House, in 2025. In Riyadh the exhibition is open Saturday to Thursday from 10am to 10pm and on Friday from 5pm to 10pm. Entry is by advance registration on Webook.