Rice, Sculpted Faux Food, Rotating-Motor, Doll-Torso, Sound Art,
120cm x 60cm x 60cm
Madhi contemplates the complex relationship between homesickness and food, questioning if a dish's visual memory can replace its taste. He reflects on Tumpeng, a traditional Javanese dish symbolizing gratitude, fortune, and harmony. Its yellow rice cone, representing prosperity, is surrounded by side dishes like fried chicken and tofu, symbolizing life's balance. His aunt's playful Tumpeng creations, adorned with Barbie torsos, captivated children but remained untasted by him, as it was reserved for elders. Reconstructing Tumpeng, he seeks to heal his family’s longing for his late aunt, connecting visual nostalgia with tradition’s power to preserve memory and identity beyond taste.
Currently Exhibiting at:
- BITING BETWEEN ONE’S TEETH (Group Exhibition), Curated by Basmah Felemban, Wasl Art Space, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2025).
Kinetic-Art, Sculpture, Art-Installation, Sound-art,
Wig, Paper-Folded Print, Photographic Print,
150cm x 200cm.
In From Roots of My Follicles (2024), Madhi explores censorship through performance art, photography, and paper-folding to challenge societal boundaries. He leverages his role as a male relative to reconstruct and revive the destroyed photographic archives of his aunts—images that were erased due to their depiction of uncovered hair. Madhi integrates his own scanned 3D head as a symbolic platform to display recreated versions of his aunts’ hair, reclaiming their erased presence and identity.
Exhibited at:
- كَيْدُ الرّجَال قَهرُ النِّساء, Curated by Alaa Tarabzouni, Athr Building, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2024-2025).
- Leftovers (Group Exhibition), Estiraha, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2024).
Photography, Sculpture, Art-Installation,
... And There You Are Again, (2024).
Photographic Print,
30cm x 30cm.
In Jeddah, where the ocean is admired but seldom touched, Madhi ventured to a remote shore for a 4 a.m. film shoot. The eerie darkness heightened his anticipation until sunrise unveiled a stunning seascape. The first light on the waves evoked joy and discovery, offering a profound disconnection from reality yet connection to a wondrous realm. This photograph captures that transformative moment, embodying the delicate interplay between yearning and fulfillment, darkness and dawn.
Exhibited at:
- “I CAN SEE LAND”, SINDBAD, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2023-2024).
Photography,
Madhi explores identity and the challenges immigrants face when adapting to new cultures, with family connections spanning Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Heirlooms, some passed down for six generations, serve as tangible links to the past, often carrying gendered traditions. Hybrid identities can lead to feelings of alienation, as non-native appearances, speech, and attire shape perceptions of belonging. In Sarongs Over the Ocean, Madhi examines these identity collisions by merging attires from the cultures they have assimilated with, becoming a symbol of adaptation amid shifting cultural landscapes.
Photography,
Slot Machine, 3 photo-slides, 12 images
188cm x 90cm x 80 cm.
In Unearthly Genesis (2022), Madhi reflects on identity and how genetic “chances” shape who we become. He draws from his own family’s history, touching on feelings of alienation that many experience but rarely discuss. Influenced by the idea of identity as a matter of “luck,” he questions what it means to truly belong. His artwork features photographs and miniature figures of different identities, which are placed inside a Slot Machine. Visitors are invited to play and ponder the randomness of their own identity, asking themselves if they’ve hit the “identity jackpot.”
Showcased at:
- Archival Aesthetics, Masaha Residency Cycle 3, Misk Art Institute, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2022).
Photography, Kinetic-Art, Art-Installation,
I am Mbarak Madhi (b. 1997, Jakarta, Indonesia), a self-taught interdisciplinary artist and co-founder of Al-Estiraha an artist-run initiative. I am Indonesian of Yemeni descent, living between Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I started my artistic journey with photography and film before expanding into kinetic art, sculpture, and sound-based works.
My practice revolves around exploring self-identity and perception. I often grapple with feelings of alienation and a sense of detachment from reality. This internal conflict drives me to question the nuances of identity, assimilation, and belonging. Through my work, I reflect on these themes, examining how they shape both personal and collective narratives.
- Leftovers - Estiraha, Co-Curator, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2024).
Exhibitions:
- STORIES in the MAKING, Ahlam Gallery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2025).
- BITING BETWEEN ONE’S TEETH - YSA ’25 , Curated by Basmah Felemban, Athr Foundation at Wasl Art Space, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2025).
- كَيْدُ الرّجَال قَهرُ النِّساء, Curated by Alaa Tarabzouni, Athr Building, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2024-2025).
- Leftovers , Estiraha, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2024).
- “I CAN SEE LAND”, SINDBAD, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2023-2024).
- Lens4Equality organized by Goethe-Institute, Alliance Francaise in Collaboration with Gharem Studio, Embassy of Germany, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2023).
- Lens4Equality organized by Goethe-Institute, Alliance Francaise in Collaboration with Gharem Studio, Embassy of France. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2023).
- Lens4Equality organized by Goethe-Institute, Alliance Francaise in Collaboration with Gharem Studio, Ahlam Gallery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2022).
- Archival Aesthetics, Masaha Residency Cycle 3, Misk Art Institute, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2022).
Awards & Recognition:
- First Place - Video Documentary, Saudi Heritage Preservation Society, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2016).
- Shortlisted - Misk Art Grant, with Abeer Sultan (2024).
- Shortlisted - Hayy Jameel Facade – with Abeer Sultan & Basmah Felemban (2024).
- Heritage Preservation through Imagery, Saudi Heritage Preservation Society in collaboration with Qomra Academy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2016).
- Lens4Equality, Alliance Française, Goethe-Institut with Gharem Studio (2022).
- VAC Cultural Trip to Paris, Visual Arts Commission (2023).
- Criticae 23/24, Masterclass on Documentary Photography, PhMuseum (2023-2024).).
Residencies:
- Archival Aesthetics, Masaha Residency Cycle 3, Misk Art Institute, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2022).
Artist Assistance:
- Artist Assistant, Rut Blees Luxemberg, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2025).
- Archives Management, “If We Close Our Eyes, It's Still the Same” by Basmah Felemban and Mustafa Al-Hassan, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2024).
Contact:
kiki.madhi@gmail.com