Mai Al-Ayyar is a visual artist and researcher in the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its cultural identity, and its multiple civilizations. She is keen in her drawings to relate to the nature around her. She is also distinguished by her multi-layered paintings and the bold colors used.
Mai founded Maya Art Studio as a creative space for art lovers to obtain artistic courses, experiences, and workshops in the various fields of visual arts.
Through her practice, May Alayyar explores ideas of history and cultural identity, with a focus on the civilization of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She draws from nature and the natural world as a means to express the growth and renaissance of contemporary Saudi Arabia through the pride of its people.
May is inspired by the desert nature where lavender flowers sprout in the Arabian desert spring and use these native flowers as a metaphor for the blossoming of her country.
Combining different forms of abstraction with representation, May paints by building up layers, as she attempts to create an equilibrium of rhythms and compositions. She is known for her instinctive use of bold colours and flowing silky brushstrokes that bring a unique lightness to the work. Depicting lavender, iris and desert mountain flowers, May draws from her personal lived experiences, conveying an emotive and subjective perspective to reflect the in-betweenness of the changing of the seasons.
