Khalid Abdulla Al-Muharraqi

Founder & Chief Creative
Muharraqi Studios W.L.L.

Khalid Al Muharraqi, a native of the Kingdom of Bahrain and a trailblazer in the world of digital art and design, is the Founder and Chief Creative of Muharraqi Studios. Khalid’s artistic roots run deep, inspired by his father, Mr. Abdallah Al Muharraqi, a celebrated painter, artist, cartoonist, and designer in the Arabian Peninsula. The elder Al Muharraqi’s work, spanning surrealism and social commentary, has left an indelible mark on the region’s artistic landscape.

Raised in an atmosphere of creative expression, Khalid’s own artistic journey was shaped by his multicultural experiences, including his education in the United States. Committed to furthering his father’s legacy while forging his own path, Khalid pursued a degree in Digital Art Design at the University of Houston, where he honed his skills alongside like-minded artists.

Upon returning to Bahrain and apprenticing under his father, Khalid embraced the digital medium as a means of expressing his artistic sensibilities. In 2004, he founded Muharraqi Studios, specializing in CG art and architectural visualization. The studio’s impressive roster of international clients includes OMA, Atkins, and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), whose projects often drew inspiration from Khalid’s futuristic digital paintings.

Khalid’s artistic passions extend to “digital dreaming,” where he explores his cultural heritage through mythological themes and esoteric digital paintings. His iconic works have resonated deeply within the region, transcending the boundaries of traditional art forms.

Despite earning numerous accolades and attracting the attention of industry giants like Pixar, Disney, and Weta Digital, Khalid remains dedicated to the creative process and the exploration of diverse themes. His work encompasses Desert Art, Mythical creatures, studies of the Human Form, and Cyborg Futurism, reflecting the challenges of living in a pandemic-stricken world.

In a testament to the strength of his artistic lineage, Khalid and his father Abdallah recently exhibited their work in a rare father-son retrospective, symbolizing the passing of the torch from one generation to the next.

Khalid’s expertise spans a wide range of disciplines, including Illustration and art, Modeling, Animation, Rigging, Lighting, Compositing & VFX, Texturing, Sculpture, Design, Art Direction, and Concept Art and design. As a forward-thinking artist, he continually embraces new tools and technologies, such as Unreal Engine and AI, to push the boundaries of his craft.