His Excellency Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa has long been a prominent figure in Bahrain’s cultural landscape, known not only as an artist and philanthropist but also as a member of the royal family and a significant force in the country’s contemporary art scene.
Sheikh Rashid, a grandson of Bahrain’s former ruler, Sheikh Sir Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, began painting at a young age, taking part in school competitions. Shortly before moving to the UK, he held his first solo exhibition at the age of 18. He then moved to Sussex, where he studied at Hastings College of Arts and Technology.
During his college years, Sheikh Rashid stepped away from painting, but in 1980, he returned to his passion for art. He was among the founding members of the Bahrain Arts Society, established in the 1980s with government support, and continues to serve as its Honorary President. For decades, the organisation has played a pivotal role in nurturing emerging talent and raising the profile of visual artists across the region.
Since returning to Bahrain, Sheikh Rashid Al Khalifa has played an active role in supporting the country’s emerging artistic talent, bringing international expertise to the local scene and backing regional workshops that give young Bahraini artists opportunities to engage with the wider global art world.
As Chairman of the National Council for Arts, established under Royal Decree No. 111 of 2021, he also plays a role in shaping Bahrain’s cultural landscape, contributing to the development of its long-term arts strategy and the broader integration of the creative sector into the country’s cultural and economic development.
Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa: The Talented Artist
Sheikh Rashid believes that encouragement is essential for artists. He has previously reflected on the importance of his family’s support, saying that without their encouragement, he would not have come this far. That early support helped lay the foundation for a career spanning more than five decades, during which he has continually evolved his practice, moving from atmospheric Impressionist landscapes to striking geometric abstraction, convex canvases and large-scale minimalist metal installations.
His artistic journey has encompassed everything from spare and elegant oils and watercolours in a representational Orientalist style to bold colours and cut-out forms. He has explored landscape, figurative and abstract art, moving fluidly between mediums and approaches as he developed a distinctive visual language of his own.
That spirit of experimentation eventually led him beyond painting and into sculpture and installation. Today, his practice is characterised by monumental, site-specific works that bring together industrial materials and traditional Middle Eastern aesthetics. Working in three dimensions, he uses aluminium, steel mesh, enamel and Plexiglas to explore repetition, light and the relationship between architecture and space.
Throughout his career, Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa has exhibited his work in major solo exhibitions, international biennials and leading art fairs around the world. Most recently, he presented his geometric installation Crate Maze at Art Basel in Switzerland.
In December 2020, he opened the RAK Art Foundation, which he turned his 1920s former childhood home into a museum. Sheikh Rashid’s childhood bedroom is now an office-cum-library that stands beside his first artworks, which were painted directly onto the wall when he was 16 years old.
The foundation houses what is described as Bahrain’s largest private collection of international contemporary art, including works by renowned artists such as Frank Stella and Fernando Botero. It also serves as an accessible educational space for local students and creatives.
