Ahmad Angawi at World Expo, 2025

“I don’t like to cut and paste. I like to learn a culture, work with them, and have a dialogue, and then come up with results.”

– Ahmad Angawi

At World Expo 2025, DDX produced a six-month cultural programme within the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, showcasing contemporary Saudi creativity through exhibitions, residencies, and interactive experiences. As the final resident in the Cultural Arts Studio, Ahmad Angawi brought his philosophy to life, creating new works that fused cultural practices.

A major figure in the Saudi art scene, Angawi is a multidisciplinary creative and educator from Makkah. His practice bridges Hejaz heritage and contemporary design, revitalising traditional craft while inspiring a new generation of artists and makers. At the Pavilion, he reimagined Mangour, the traditional Hijazi wooden latticework rooted in sacred geometry. Respectful yet inventive, he explored its hidden proportions and adapted it for a contemporary context, drawing parallels with Japan’s Kumiko latticework and Shoji screens. The collaboration highlighted the universal principles of geometry, balance, and light, turning a centuries-old craft into a dialogue between cultures.

Angawi demonstrated the intricate design and making of Mangour using geometric drawing techniques and traditional woodworking tools. The residency evolved into a cross-cultural collaboration with Takuya Shimoyashiki, a Kumiko craftsman from Japan. Together, they created a hybrid artwork blending Saudi and Japanese techniques, celebrating the craftsmanship of both traditions.

The residency was highly interactive: audiences witnessed live demonstrations of planing, cutting Kumiko pieces, and revealing the detailed geometric patterns of Mangour. This immersive experience allowed visitors to appreciate both the skill and cultural significance behind each craft.

By connecting Saudi and Japanese techniques, Angawi showed how heritage can inspire contemporary design while fostering cross-cultural understanding, transforming the Cultural Arts Studio into a space where tradition, education, and innovation converged.