At Buro247 Middle East, we are committed to showcasing and celebrating the extraordinary talent in the Arab world. With our column, #BuroSpotlights, we bring you stories of pioneering artists, innovative designers, tech trailblazers, cinematic visionaries, sports stars, and more.
This week, #BuroSpotlights Saudi-Filipina artist Dalya Moumina.
Dalia Moumina’s art is a vivid bridge between continents, memories, and imagination. It is a bold, colorful journey rooted in the landscapes of her childhood yet stretching far beyond. Born to a Saudi father and a Filipina mother, Moumina’s rich cultural heritage flows through her striking paintings. Now based in New York, she transforms her memories of the Red Sea’s deep blues and the lush islands of the Philippines into surreal, geometric landscapes that feel both intimate and otherworldly.
Raised in Jeddah, a city she calls home no matter where life takes her, Moumina’s earliest years were soaked in sea air, desert adventures, and horseback rides—experiences that fuel the stunning natural landscapes in her artwork. Summers spent in the Philippines introduced her to island life and tribal ceremonies, where primitive shapes and symbols in face painting left a lasting impression that she now channels into her artistic language.
Though painting has been part of her life since childhood, it was only after graduating in business, technology, and psychology from the University of Virginia that she fully embraced art. Inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s iconic mountain landscapes and her slow-drying, rich oil paints, Moumina found her creative voice during the pandemic, when travel restrictions made her long for the landscapes of her youth.
Her paintings blend cubism and surrealism, with a three-dimensional feel created through sharp contrasts and a vibrant, experimental palette. A large yellow sun might hang over wave-like mountains, rivers twisting through utopian terrains, all crafted to invite viewers in, to feel something beyond the visual.
New York’s competitive art scene has pushed Moumina to not just paint but connect, network, and put herself out there. She sees her identity as a Saudi woman as an advantage in an industry still dominated by men, especially as galleries are increasingly seeking female voices. Her landscapes are a statement about the interconnectedness of everything around us, a vivid reminder that the past and present, reality and dream, are constantly weaving together in fresh, unexpected ways.
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