Riyadh Art reveals family tree by Indian artist Subodh Gupta in Riyadh’s financial district

Not all trees grow leaves. And definitely not this family tree. Built from tiffin boxes, thali pans, and milk pails, the arrival of artist Subodh Gupta’s Family Tree (2020) at Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District turns the humble tools of daily life into a gleaming monument that is impossible to miss. Making its first appearance in the city, the sculpture joins the Riyadh Art Permanent Collection.

Constructed from stainless steel and everyday household utensils, the large-scale sculpture takes the form of a peepal, or bodhi, tree, a species associated with cultural and spiritual significance across South Asia. By translating an organic form into metal and everyday domestic objects, Gupta repositions the tree within a contemporary, secular context.

“Family Tree reflects the power of art to connect people through familiar materials and shared experiences,” said Architect Badr Shenafi, Senior Director of Riyadh Art. “By bringing a work of this scale and significance to the capital, Riyadh Art continues to strengthen the presence of contemporary art within the city’s public spaces and everyday urban experience.”

Gupta is widely known for incorporating stainless steel kitchen utensils and other objects associated with domestic life in India into his work. Through these familiar materials, he examines themes of cultural identity, migration, globalization, and economic transformation.

Family Tree forms part of the Riyadh Art Permanent Collection, a growing citywide collection of public artworks installed across Riyadh’s neighbourhoods, public spaces, and routes of movement. Led by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Riyadh Art is one of the world’s largest public art programs and one of Riyadh’s four original mega projects under Vision 2030.

Since its launch in 2019, Riyadh Art has installed 75 artworks across the city as part of the Permanent Collection, with further artworks planned for installation throughout 2026. Riyadh Art is one of Riyadh’s four original mega projects under Vision 2030 and is led by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.