The Expressive Values of the "Najdi Ardah" and Their Influence on Contemporary Ceramic Art

Abstract

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is distinguished by its vast territory and diverse geographical borders shared with various countries, each possessing a unique culture. This diversity has enriched Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage through a variety of traditional activities and forms of intangible heritage, such as camel racing, dialects, visual arts traditions, and folk dances.This research focuses specifically on folk dances in Saudi Arabia. Among the most renowned is the *Najdi Ardah*—popular in the central region of the Kingdom and often referred to as the "Dance of Kings"—as it is the official dance performed by kings and princes during national celebrations. For this reason, the Najdi Ardah has been inscribed on the UNESCO list of Saudi Arabia’s intangible cultural heritage, given the importance of this heritage, it is documented through the visual arts, which imbue it with aesthetic qualities. Ceramic art, in particular, is distinguished by unique aesthetics arising from the nature of the material and its surface and formal characteristics; the fluidity of clay can be harnessed to capture the kinetic and formal gestures of the Najdi *Ardah* dance with a unique aesthetic and expressive harmony, , Thus, the research problem is framed by the following question: "Can the expressive qualities of the Najdi *Ardah* be utilized to design and create contemporary ceramic works?" The researcher employed the historical-descriptive method to examine and highlight the Najdi *Ardah* and trace its historical evolution, as well as the experimental method through the study's practical experimentation. Additionally, the research analyzed and described various artworks from around the world that depict folk dances, The researcher then presents an experimental study addressing the *Najdi Ardah* and its expression through a two-dimensional ceramic work. The findings indicate that the *Najdi Ardah* is rich in expressive qualities that offer the art of ceramics diverse artistic and formal possibilities. Furthermore, engaging with folk heritage through art imbues it with varied aesthetic qualities, thereby enhancing its value and safeguarding it against oblivion; this underscores a key aspect of art’s significance as a medium for preserving heritage and presenting it in a renewed form.