Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium

Karin van Ommeren studied sculpture at Brussels’ Academy for Fine Art, with a dedicated focus in stone sculpture. In 1993, she won her first prize at an international stone sculpture competition in Taiwan, for which she created a new work for the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

Rajaa Alshafae has a Diploma in Arts from the Penn Foster Career School, Scranton, U.S. (2008) and BA in English Language from King Faisal University, Al-ahsa, Saudi Arabia (2014). She also attended many accredited technical courses in the field of sculpture, shaping, wood engraving, silkscreen printing, and Arabic calligraphy courses.

Wafa Al Qunibit (b. 1967) is an artist and trainer with a Masters degree in sculpture from Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, U.S. (2016) and a Master of Business Administration from Columbus University (2009).

Calligrapher and sculptor Haidar Alawi Al-Alawi (b. 1979) holds an undergraduate degree in art education from King Saud University in Riyadh. Haider Al-Alawi entered the world of sculpture by attending a course of sculpting on marble with the Italian artist, Dionisio Cimarelli, and began by making small wood carvings.

Alessio Ranaldi (b. 1974) is a visual artist currently living in Berlin, Germany whose current research practice focuses on the interaction between two or more seemingly opposite elements.

Jo Kley (b. 1964) is founder of his own company, Ars Magnifica, and has participated in over 30 solo and 80 group exhibitions, as well as more than 60 international sculpture symposiums in 25 countries.

Isabel H Langtry was born in Lagos, Nigeria from a Galician-Spanish and British heritage, which forms an essential part of her cultural DNA. Her objective as a sculptor is to produce large-scale works for public spaces.

Kim De Ruysscher (b. 1973) is known for his impressive sculptures and installations. Since 2014, De Ruysscher has been based in Varese, Italy with his work divided into several themes: time, nature, society, family and friendship.

Nando Alvarez (b. 1975) graduated in History of Art, Santiago de Compostela University (1999) before going on to study for an MA in Sculpture at Mestre Mateo Arts School, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (2001). He has participated in more than 90 international sculpture symposiums and competitions in 24 different countries.

Muhammad Al Thagafi (born in 1975) is a founding member of the Saudi Society for Fine Arts. Among the pioneers of the Saudi art scene, he is a well-known sculptor locally and internationally. He holds a master’s degree in sculpture from Umm Al-Qura University (2016).

Jhon Gogaberishvili (b. 1953), is a senior figure and mentor in the Georgian sculpture scene. Graduated from Tbilisi State Academy of Fine Arts in 1983 (postgraduate studies), he has been invited as an associated professor at the academy as well.

Carlos Monge (b. 1947) lives between Mexico and Spain. He is the Mexican and Spanish representative of the International Association for Monumental Sculpture Events (AIESM). Monge has participated in 100+ symposiums around the world since 1990.

Damjan Komel (b. 1971) graduated in sculpture and ceramic from the Famul Stuart School of Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2004). In his artistic research he seeks to tell his own story, his experiences, personal responses and feelings, as well as those of people and situations he encounters in his daily life.

Georgi Minchev (b. 1965) has a Master’s degree in sculpture and theoretical disciplines from St. Cyril and Methodius University, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria (1991), and is a professor in sculpture and theoretical disciplines at the same university, he is the head of the Sculpture Department and a member of UBA, Bulgaria.

Fernando Pinto (b. 1975) studied industrial design at Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá (1999), Colombia before moving to Pietrasanta in Italy to study stone sculpture with sculptors Pasquale Martini and Cesare Riva.

Ana Maria Negară (b. 1984) gained a PhD in visual arts from the National University of Arts, George Enescu, Iasi, Romania (2014), as well as an MA (2010) and B.Sc. (2008) in sculpture. Her artistic concept is built on the relationship between expressive and conceptual forms of tradition and those of the recent era.

Anna Korver (b. 1980) currently divides her time between her home in New Plymouth, New Zealand and overseas where she works nationally and internationally on exhibition work and private and public commissions.

Aleksandar Eftimovski (b. 1988) dedicated his youth to learning and exploring visual arts, especially sculpture. Aged 14, he started learning about art at the National Art School of Macedonia, with his interest in sculpture later leading him to the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence where he got his Bachelor degree.

Ali AlJabri (b. 1980) grew up in the city of Sohar in an environment filled with science and literature. After his formal art education, he experimented with a large number of mediums and techniques before finding his passion in marble, and solely working with the medium since 2012.