image
ArtGalleriesMuseums

by Alexandra Mansilla

Naila Art Gallery: A Space That Listens

18 Apr 2025

There are places where art isn’t simply displayed — it breathes, it listens, it responds. Naila Gallery in Riyadh is one of those spaces. Founded in 2012 by Mrs. Naifa AlFayez, an artist, the gallery has become a vital point in the rhythm of Saudi Arabia’s contemporary art scene.
Over the past decade, Naila has hosted hundreds of exhibitions, talks, and workshops. But beyond the scale, what stands out is the intention: a careful, steady shift from local roots to global conversations. With a collection spanning 10,000 artworks and contributions from hundreds of visual artists, the gallery holds not just objects, but stories, each one grounded in a distinct creative voice.
The gallery space itself is responsive — adaptable to the artwork it holds. From sculpture to painting, from the intimate to the expansive, every medium finds its rhythm here. But the true signature of Naila is its attention: to artists, to audiences, to the world as it changes. Art is not simply presented — it is engaged with. Quietly, seriously, and with purpose.
image
image
image

Naila also looks forward with clarity. Technology here isn’t an accessory — it is a bridge. A way to reach those outside the physical space, to bring them into the experience with intention and depth. Through immersive 3D exhibitions, visitors are invited to move through the artwork — to feel, to notice, to reflect. It isn’t just about seeing; it is about entering into a relationship with the piece.
Naila is building the connection. Between artists and audiences. Between tradition and what is next. Between a region and the wider world. And, most of all, between art and the people who are ready to experience it deeply.
image
image
image

Continuum by eL Seed

Exhibitions to see

Until the end of April, Naila Gallery hosts two exhibitions that speak in different registers but share a common instinct — to stay close to what is essential.
Continuum by eL Seed works through gesture — calligraphy, sculpture, layers of paint — to trace the quiet shifts of identity. There is no fixed centre here, only movement. The works feel like fragments of thought, shaped by Third Culture experience — somewhere between memory and motion. This is not about explaining the self, but noticing how it changes. Gently, rhythmically. The past doesn’t disappear — it folds into what is still unfolding.
image
image
image

"Memory of Clay"

"Memory of Clay" takes a slower breath. Here, form grows out of weight and touch. Clay is not a neutral material — it remembers. In this exhibition, traditional techniques are handled with care, but also with openness. The pieces carry the tension between what was and what might still be said. They don’t rush to speak. Instead, they let the surface do the work — textures that recall roots, gestures that hold something shared. A kind of quiet persistence.
Where can you find the gallery? Save the address: Naila Art Gallery, Building 247 #2, Al Takhassousi Street, Al Mathar Ash Shamali, Riyadh. Here is the Google Maps link — just drop it into your favourites so you don’t lose it.
Play