Royal Portraits is a collection of three handcrafted portraits of King Abdulaziz Ibn Abdulrahman; the first King of Saudi Arabia; King Salman Ibn Abdulaziz, present King of Saudi Arabia; and Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia.
The three portraits are handcrafted using a technique called Marquetry; the art and craftsmanship of applying thin layers of veneer to a structure, forming decorative patterns, and designs. This technique is as intricate as a detailed jigsaw puzzle where each piece of wood veneer has been cut for a specific space; and then inch by inch, a design begins to come to life on the piece of wood.
In these pieces, we have used Mother of Pearl and Tin Inlay to showcase a dynamic between materials and different inlay techniques. The gold details on the Bisht in every piece is hand painted with 21K Gold and molded for 3D texture. The dyed veneer is placed in a specific grain direction to allow for shadow aesthetics. The process of integrating various materials creates an intricate and sophisticated dimension to the pieces that can be visually seen from different angles.