Benzene Float I, 2022

Kuwaiti artist Monira Al Qadiri casts petroleum into iridescent fiberglass, producing sculptural forms that gleam like living pearls. Benzene Float (2025), an ongoing series, bridges Gulf futurism and the legacies of resource extraction, transforming the chemical shimmer of oil into objects that are at once devotional and cautionary. Each piece hovers between drop and orb, radiating beauty while signaling the ecological and cultural weight of petroleum.
Al Qadiri reframes energy as a cultural mirror: what fuels progress also shapes identity and history. In Riyadh, the work floats within a luminous pool, its surface shifting from violet to gold, reflecting light like a precious but transient phenomenon. The installation invites contemplation on value, transformation, and the paradox of modern prosperity, reminding viewers that the brilliance of progress often carries complex shadows beneath its surface.