Mohammed Farea is a Riyadh-based artist and architect whose paintings depict stylised buildings reminiscent of traditional architecture in the Najd region of Saudi Arabia. The self-taught artist uses shapes and vibrant colours to capture the mud, stone and palms which are commonplace in the Najd, the highlands located in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula.

Farea, born in 1968, examines how traditional architecture acts as an important facet in shaping cultural identity. The monuments of traditional Saudi architecture should be preserved and valued, according to Farea. "I’m trying to find a way of combining new construction models with traditional learning," he says to describe his work, which strives to demonstrate the essence and ambiance of building structures, the life that circulates around them and their significance as monuments of cultural history. Farea uses circles extensively because, in his view, everything vital in our existence is related to the movement of the circle.

A member of the Riyadh Fine Art Group, Farea was trained as an architect and works for an architecture firm in the Saudi capital.