"My brother and I were raised in a bubble, shielded from the outside world. Hence, we created a world of our own, imagining scenarios and creating fictional characters. This early experience of imagination and play fuels my art today, where I often revisit the childhood cartoons that spark nostalgia and inspire me to recreate an imaginary world."
Sarah Orfali is a Saudi Arabian artist from Medinah whose work blends imagination with emotion. Her art explores the concept of motion within still images, using line drawings and animated techniques like smears to convey emotions such as surprise, fear, and sadness. Orfali’s mixed-media approach combines oil pastels, colored pencils, markers, charcoal, and acrylic paints, resulting in playful and expressive works that reflect vulnerability. Through her art, Orfali fosters a dialogue between imagination and reality, encouraging viewers to find their own stories within her emotionally charged scenes. Sarah is currently completing her BA in Fine Art at The Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow, UK.
Sarah Orfali has exhibited in both solo and group shows in Saudi Arabia and the UK. Her solo exhibition Chaotic Impression took place in Al-Madinah, KSA (2024), while her group exhibitions include Salon des Inclusions (2024), Strata Vol. 2 (2024), and Narrative Encounters (2023) in Glasgow, UK, as well as These Things Happen (2022) and Apostrophe (2021) in Al-Madinah, KSA.