She started with illustrations and jokes about everyday Saudi life. The business side she worked out as she went. Alaa Balkhy started Fyunka in 2011, right after graduating from graphic design school. It was an illustration brand built on humour and the details of Saudi everyday life, and it found its community quickly through social media. Since then her work has spread across fashion, publishing, branding, community building and cultural consulting. The thread has not changed: ideas rooted in culture, community and a point of view shaped by where she comes from.
There was no infrastructure to lean on. When she started, there was no creative infrastructure around what she was trying to build. Production, campaigns, styling, packaging, marketing, social media: she figured each one out as she went. She was not alone in that. A generation of Saudi creatives was growing at the same time, working across fashion, design, photography, advertising and branding, and giving each other chances to experiment and build portfolios. Looking back, she says, they were building a creative ecosystem together before they realised that was what they were doing.
Knowing the market is not the same as knowing the culture. That distinction matters to her. Culture comes from lived experience. It sits in the details: the shared references, the humour, the nostalgia, the memories and the everyday moments that make something feel familiar and relevant straight away. That is why she believes Saudi voices belong in the creative process from the beginning. Cultural insight cannot be researched later or added at the end.
Representation, in her view, is only the beginning. Saudi creatives need to be part of shaping the ideas, the narratives and the decisions around work made in their country. Inclusion should not be a box to check. It means bringing in people who understand the culture, care about the community and are invested in the growth of the Saudi creative economy. As she puts it, Saudi creatives should not just appear in the story. They should be part of deciding what the story is in the first place.
Today, that is the job. Her work now sits where global brands, Saudi culture and the creative community meet. She helps brands understand and engage with Saudi culture authentically, and she finds ways to introduce Saudi culture, creativity and talent to audiences abroad. On a given project that can mean shaping a campaign, developing a concept that is culturally relevant, bringing Saudi creatives into the work, or helping Saudi stories and perspectives reach people beyond the Kingdom. Cultural consulting, for her, is about making sure Saudi voices help shape the conversation, while creating more space for Saudi culture and creativity globally.
The best material, she says, is already at home. Our cities, our homes, nostalgia, memories, architecture, family gatherings, weddings, Ramadan, music, language and everyday rituals. Saudi culture is not one experience, and there are regional stories, memories and perspectives still waiting to be explored and preserved.
Her advice to the next generation of Saudi creatives is simple. Pay attention to what is around you and stay connected to home. Your memories and lived experiences are what give your work a point of view that is only yours. Which is the whole point. The people who hold those memories should be the ones telling the story.
