Ahmed Mater was born in Tabuk, a small town in the Northwest part of Saudi Arabia. In 1994, his family moved to the extremely traditional city of Abha where Mater was first exposed to Islamic art. Even though he is currently one of Saudi’s most celebrated artists, Mater obtained an education in medicine rather than in art. The central theme of the artist’s work is the contradiction between Mater’s religious upbringing and his later encounter with medicine, science and globalization. Mater’s works can be found in the collections of the British Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He is one of the founders of Edge of Arabia, a travelling exhibition, and actively participates in Abha’s Miftaha Arts Village, part of the King Fahad Cultural Centre.