Death of artist Sami Muhammad at 82... one of the pioneers of Kuwaiti visual arts
Kuwaiti visual artist and sculptor Sami Muhammad Ahmad Al-Saleh passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82, following a health setback that required hospitalization a few days prior. He underwent treatment before succumbing to his illness.
His passing marks the loss of one of the most prominent pioneers of Kuwait’s visual arts and sculpture movement, after a career spanning decades that left behind a distinguished artistic and creative legacy, and contributed to consolidating the presence of Kuwaiti visual art locally, regionally, and internationally.
Born in 1943 in the Sabah Al-Salim neighborhood in the East district, Al-Saleh began his artistic journey early. In 1962, he received a full-time scholarship to the Free Studio, and four years later, he was sent to study art at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo.
In 1967, Sami Muhammad co-founded the Kuwait Association for Visual Arts with a group of fellow artists. He continued his studies and developed his artistic practice before joining the Johnson Atelier in Princeton, New Jersey, USA, in 1974.
Al-Saleh’s work was particularly associated with sculpture. Throughout his career, he produced works that combined expressive power with a search for meaning, drawing inspiration from surrealist and expressionist trends in some of his pieces. He became one of the key figures who contributed to building and developing modern Kuwaiti art.
Over the course of his career, Al-Saleh received numerous local, Arab, and international awards and honors, including the State Encouragement Award in 1999, the Artistic Creativity Award within the Arab Thought Foundation Awards in 2010, and the State Appreciation Award in 2015.
The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters assigned him several artistic tasks, including designing the State Encouragement Award in 1993, and designing and executing the State Appreciation Award along with a medal in 2000.
With the passing of Sami Muhammad, the Kuwaiti cultural and artistic scene loses one of its pioneers who left a clear mark on the history of visual arts and sculpture. His works and artistic experience remain a testament to a career filled with dedication and creativity.
Al-Siyasa, deeply saddened by this loss, extends its sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the family and relatives of the deceased, praying that God envelops him in His boundless mercy.
