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Pour TS Elliot
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Known for creating dream-like worlds, surreal imaginary and landscapes, Juliana Seraphim developed her own visual language that was inspired from memories in her childhood.
In 1971, she was commissioned by Shorewood Publishers of New York to illustrate nine winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature on twenty-seven on copper plates. “Pour TS Elliot” is a rare Artist Proof of the limited edition whose imaginary and symbology could be referencing the Free Masons.
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Untitled
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Expressionist Mohsen Shalaan unleashed his emotion through oil paint, ink and pencils combining symbols and folkloric myths to ultimately create a surrealist experience. Reminding viewers of a film scene where the main character has a memory or flashback “Untitled” might serve as way to relate to our own nostalgia.
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The Kite
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Referencing religious symbols, mythology, philosophy and popular iconography, Elias Zayat is known for his dramatic portraiture and expressive figures. In “The Kite”, delineating lines, blocks of color and the kneeling figure might be seen as referencing the church and its stained glass.
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Untitled
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Egyptian artist Adel El Siwi’s work is known for his treatment of the human figure often portraying a whimsical narration and energy. In “Untitled”, the brush strokes, colors and figures come together in a swirl of a composition, layered on top of one another using oil and watercolor paint.
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Untitled
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One of the foremost modernist artists in Morocco, Farid Belkahia is influenced by his cultural heritage in the creation and usage of shapes, materials, and techniques. In his work, Belkahia roots international modernism within the local context. His carefully theorized lexicon of symbols and organic shapes are seen in the “Untitled” work.
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Untitled
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Using symbols interspersed with bright colors, Fakhir Mohammed paints beautifully harmonic pieces that have an almost audible rhythm. In “Untitled”, patterns and shapes seem to move energetically around the canvas while highlights of color pop-out from corner to corner.
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Untitled
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Jaber Alwan’s work addresses the human condition, conflicts in his homeland and icons of Iraqi culture such as the late Dia Majeed, and the 20th-century poet, Muhammad Mahdi al-Jawahiri. Typical of the artist’s penetrating dark palette and surreal colors, “Untitled” displays the artist’s characteristic thick, almost sculptural, brushwork which accentuates the drama of the figure inside the interior scene. The features on the face have a neutral expression, with the color symbolism, body motion and other elements inferring the work’s intent.
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Untitled
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Jaber Alwan’s work addresses the human condition, conflicts in his homeland and icons of Iraqi culture such as the late Dia Majeed, and the 20th-century poet, Muhammad Mahdi al-Jawahiri. Typical of the artist’s penetrating dark palette and surreal colors, “Untitled” displays the artist’s characteristic thick, almost sculptural, brushwork that accentuates the drama of the scene. The black silhouetted figure, possibly a self portrait of the artist, is in contrast with the colorful canvas he is painting.
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The Earth
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During his studies and travels, artist Moussa Tiba experimented with a variety of subject matter and mediums. In the early 1970s, he resolutely turned towards abstraction and warmer colors. The geometric shapes, squares and straight lines took over his canvases, as seen in “The Earth”. Some interpret his work as having sexual overtones, the unity of a man and woman, the forms and colors colliding together while the classic bodies are stripped of their traditional lines and curves.
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Orient of Ashes
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Featuring arabesque concepts, Abdullah Murad’s paintings and drawings are deeply influenced by the fauvist colors and the abstract expressionist movement. His paintings expose layers of details varying from transparent to thick impasto while using the mixture of media textures: newspaper collages, and cut-outs, as seen in the “Orient of Ashes.” This work is in the same series or possibly even created as a diptych to” The Master of Game”.
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Master of the game
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Featuring arabesque concepts, Abdullah Murad’s paintings and drawings are deeply influenced by the fauvist colors and the abstract expressionist movement. His paintings expose layers of details varying from transparent to thick impasto while using the mixture of media textures: newspaper collages and cut-outs, as seen in the “Master of the Game.” This work is in the same series or possibly even created as a diptych to “Orient of Ashes.”
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Untitled
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Iraqi artist, architect and academic Maath Alousi paints dark and expressionist works with broad brushstrokes like in “Untitled.” This work of an almost obscured face, with blurred outlines has a bright red circular mouth as a focal point, popping through the dark wash of layers.
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Untitled
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Influenced by architectural drawings, Ali el-Ghul began experimenting with different inks and paints on silk. Skillfully bleeding the paints into each other, they form translucent layers. In “Untitled” the paint shapes the organic form of a figure in an abstract plane.
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Untitled
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Influenced by architectural drawings, Ali el-Ghul began experimenting with different inks and paints on silk. Skillfully bleeding the paints into each other, they form translucent layers in “Untitled”, the forms are then outlined, presenting a dream-like image of a ghost and a flower.
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Untitled
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Influenced by architectural drawings, Ali el-Ghul began experimenting with different inks and paints on silk. Skillfully bleeding the paints into each other, they form translucent layers that serve as compositional elements in “Untitled” in contrast to the defined figures in an architectural space.
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The Messiah is crucified anew المسيح يُصلب من جديد
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Inspired by his family and events in his early childhood, Ibrahim Jalal grew up surrounded by his father’s weaving loom, his older brother’s portraits of women and the vibrant colors and atmosphere of the textile market. Jalal’s paintings are based in abstraction, a bright palette and central compositions with square-like shapes. In “The Messiah is Crucified Anew”, he includes the religious symbol of the crucifixion, small vignettes, figures and objects, that when they are combined together, they take on a narrative quality.
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Untitled
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Following the Hama Massacre of 1981, Khouzayma Alwany’s work revolved around the dramatic depiction of monsters and beasts, an allusion to humanity with all of its injustice and the Syrian society in a state of devastation. Similar to “Untitled” each work has a painted border or a frame whose color is the same as the character or action in the center. Often the monster-like figures expand beyond or escape their borders. In this work, a warrior-like bird-headed figure stands with hanging genitals, a sword on his belt and snake in his hand - symbols of masculinity, virility and conquest.
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Untitled
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Following the Hama Massacre of 1981, Khouzayma Alwani’s work revolved around the dramatic depiction of monsters and beasts, an allusion to humanity with all of its injustice and the Syrian society in a state of devastation. Similar to “Untitled” each work has a painted border or a frame whose color is the same as the character or action in the center. Often the monster-like figures expand beyond or escape their borders. In this work, the figure screams and raises his arms, overwhelmed by the rough sea.
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Untitled
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Mohammad Al-Wahibi’s work is recognized thru his engraved strokes, symbology and limited use of color like in “Untitled.” In this work, he created small vignettes that are surrounded by eyes, snakes and patterning. As a child he painted on the asphalt road depicting exotic forms, birds, and talismans that are still seen in his latter work as a possible reverberation of his memory and Palestinian mythology.
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Adaptation
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Ghada Zoughbi paints those in-between moments when things are messy, being rehabilitated, or in the process of happening. From people’s personal lives with images of cabinets bursting with items to the public disarray of electrical wires, signage and satellite dishes, like in “Adaptation,” she shows how people are adapting to their environments. Using expressive brushwork and colors with touches of realism, her work contains strong lines that become the focal point of her compositions.
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Untitled
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One of the foremost modernist artists in Morocco, Farid Belkahia is influenced by his cultural heritage in the creation and usage of shapes, materials, and techniques. In his work, Belkahia roots international modernism within the local context. His carefully theorized lexicon of symbols and organic shapes are seen in the “Untitled” work.
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Untitled (Still Life)
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Marzouk drew inspiration from his surroundings, apart from his scenes of Beirut, he also painted indoors, particularly at the end of his life. With his vibrant palette, he captured makeshift still lives and domestic spaces distorting ordinary objects such as children’s toys or sentimental keepsakes like seashells.
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Our Village at Night
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After being trained in a classical style of painting, Sabry Mansour began his signature abstract and symbolic style with predominantly female figures, night landscapes and symbolic elements. In this print “Our Village at Night”, Mansour has depicted women in different positions inside their houses. Using shading to create the organically curvy figures and architecture against minimal backdrops, he creates a stylistically mystical and serene landscape, exuding a calmness and spirituality typical to his oeuvre. Another edition of this print can be found at the Modern Art Museum in Cairo.
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Don’t be Silenced
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“Don’t be Silenced” is part of a series of works by Zena Assi that hovers between cultures, from her homeland in Lebanon to her residence in the UK. With its ornate border, this work is presented like a traditional Oriental carpet, although the kaleidoscope of symbols inside are interwoven together in a web of wires, buildings and signage, a distinctly urban aesthetic.
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Weeping Willow in September
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“Weeping Willow in September” is part of a series of works by Zena Assi that hovers between cultures, from her homeland in Lebanon to her residence in the UK. The work speaks about the emotional, social and cultural baggage due to displacement and the cross-cultural conflicts caused by migration. With its intricate layers and embellishments, it tells its own story through symbolism and allegory.
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Weeping Willow in November
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“Weeping Willow in November” is part of a series of works by Zena Assi that hovers between cultures, from her homeland in Lebanon to her residence in the UK. The work speaks about the emotional, social and cultural baggage due to displacement and the cross-cultural conflicts caused by migration. With its intricate layers and embellishments, it tells its own story through symbolism and allegory.
