Saad al-Obaid

Saad al-Obaid (1945-2020) was a Saudi visual artist who lived for about seventy-five years, sixty of which were spent in art. He contributed to the development of the Saudi visual arts movement. Throughout his career, he was renowned for only using four primary colors—red, blue, yellow, and white—creating all other colors from them. He represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in ninety exhibitions and events worldwide. He also established the 'Forum' for Fine Arts Hall, and his works were acquired by sixteen official entities in Saudi Arabia, including al-Yamamah Palace.

Saad al-Obaid was born in Riyadh City in 1945, where he received his early education. He later attended the Teachers Institute, earning his diploma in 1965. In the early 1970s, he was appointed Supervisor of the Drawing and Calligraphy Department at Riyadh TV in 1970. He also managed the art studio at al-Shabab Club in Riyadh City in 1967, where he worked for approximately eight years. His talent was honed from a young age, prompting him to pursue further studies in art. He traveled to Paris, France, where he obtained a diploma in television drawing in 1976. After returning to Saudi Arabia, he started working as an art teacher.

Saad al-Obaid was appointed as the Chairman of the Visual Arts Committee in Riyadh at the main headquarters of the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts. He held this position for ten years, from 1985 to 1995. He also contributed to founding "Alwan Visual Arts" Group in Riyadh. In 1999, he decided to dedicate himself entirely to visual arts. He represented Saudi Arabia in ninety exhibitions and artistic events at local, Arab, and international levels. He served as a member of several judging committees. He was the supervisor and organizer of the visual arts pavilion in the "Saudi Arabia: Yesterday and Today Exhibition" held in seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, France, and Egypt.

Saad al-Obaid opened his personal art studio in 2008 and hosted the Arab Forum for Plastic Arts in 2009. He then founded the 'Forum' for Fine Arts Hall in 2013 at his home, where he organized several forums and art workshops. His works were acquired by sixteen official entities, including al-Yamamah Palace, the Ministry of Media, King Fahd National Library, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of National Guard, the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce, the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts, al-Muftaha Village in Abha City, and the Arab National Bank. Saad al-Obaid authored three books: 'Saad al-Obaid wa Rehlat al-Arbaein Aaman' (Saad al-Obaid and the Journey of Forty Years), 'Fi Thekra at-Ta'sis' (In Memory of the Foundation), and 'Takreem al-Fannan al-Saleem' (Honoring the Artist al-Saleem).