Infinite Readings

“We as humans are in a constant state of storytelling. It is the fundamental and unique nature of our species. It sets us apart from other beings. The fate of our species on this planet depends on the stories we are telling today.”
-    Muhannad Shono 

Muhannad Shono (born 1977, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is a multidisciplinary visual artist born to immigrants from Syria, whose parents were themselves the children of immigrants forced south from the Caucasus region of Southern Russia to escape the persecution of Stalin. His life experience extends over vast geographical scope, his work trace and record this movement, no better described than in the description of one of his artworks: “Paper is seen as the land we find ourselves standing on and the ink the forces driving us out of our lands. Together, the paper and ink are the record of events. We stand on pages with stories from the past. Pages we cannot open. A book of stories we cannot read. A document of lessons we cannot learn from.”

Shono’s work—unrestricted by scale, medium, concept, or technology—references cultural lore, spiritual texts, mythology, and urban legends. An architecture graduate, Shono’s practice has seen him study the drawn line, exploring its potential and interpretation.

As an avid storyteller, Shono moves seamlessly from sculptural installations to ink on paper, comic illustrations to robotics, all of which touch on cultural myths and human narratives. Shono's work attempts to reflect the multiplicity of his life experiences while striving to remain culturally and aesthetically ambiguous. 

"Muhannad Shono: Infinite Readings" is edited by Mona Khazindar, and features written contributions by: Reem Fadda, Rahul Gudipudi, Wided Rihana Khadraoui and Myrna Ayad, and Rose Lejeune. The series is published by Rizzoli International Publications and is released in separate editions of Arabic and English.

Get Your Copy:
- Masaha Giftshop, Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall, Riyadh.