ATHR Gallery presents Afterschool, an exhibition running through 8 January 2026 that features five acclaimed artists: Ahaad Alamoudi, Basmah Felemban, Mohammad Alfaraj, Rami Farook, and Sarah Abu Abdullah. The show is curated by Rania Majinyan, who set the tone for a nostalgic yet reflective exploration of childhood, adolescence, and communal memory in Saudi Arabia.
The exhibition revisits “the hours after the school day finished”, a liminal time when structured curricula end and free time begins. It evokes memories of streets, parks, homes: spaces where childhood friendships, games, routines, curiosity, and freedom once flourished. The show transforms personal and collective memories into poetic, playful, and sometimes bittersweet artworks organised thematically along three “paths” or settings: Street, Park, and Home.
Saudi artist Sarah Abu Abdallah contributes three pieces from her Blankets series, digital images printed on woven cotton textiles that conjure a sense of intimacy and reminiscence. Through these works, Abu Abdallah reflects on everyday life in Saudi Arabia: on community, childhood, leisure, and the subtle sense of belonging and freedom associated with shared spaces outside structured time.
Emirati artist Rami Farook’s contribution to Afterschool is a large-scale painting titled “I love you in god (only)” referencing street art and graffiti. It speaks to a dimension of youthful expression and rebellion, the kind of spontaneous mark-making that often goes unnoticed once it becomes part of everyday scenery. In this way, Farook reflects on the residue of adolescence: memories etched on walls and in public spaces, carrying social and emotional weight long after the moment has passed.
Saudi interdisciplinary artist Mohammad Alfaraj displays The Last Session, a photo installation. Some images in this work show children playing football, climbing, or otherwise enjoying carefree moments outdoors; others are more abstract and suggest the absence or fading of outdoor play. Through Alfaraj’s lens, the exhibition addresses shifts in childhood experience, hinting at how social changes, urbanisation, technology, or cultural shifts have transformed how young people spend their free time.
Saudi artist Basmah Felemban presents her video game School as a model (2024), a walk-through into a 3D model of her high school. In each digital room, one can find a playlist of videos posted by students celebrating the end of the school year. Felemban’s work invites reflection on personal and collective memory, on how after-school spaces and routines linger in our subconscious, shaping identity and sense of belonging.
Meanwhile, Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi showcases Winning Eagle (2023), a collage that references childhood music and nostalgia. It uses album-cover imagery from the late 1990s/early 2000s to evoke memories tied to sound, youth, and personal history.
For further information about Afterschool, please visit the exhibition’s official web page.
Additionally, you may be interested in exploring Motherhood: An Art and Photography Exhibition.
