James Coignard

Les Jumeaux de Virginie

1977

Since the 1940s, the Egyptian painter Hamed Abdalla is not only a visionary pioneer of modern art for the global south and Arab countries; he is also one of the first of his generation to envision painting as political art and activism. The current display focuses on a specific time of defeat and disillusion for a whole generation of Arab artists and intellectuals, in the aftermath of the “Six Days War” led by Israel and their allies (a war title which a lot of Arab activists consider propagandist, preferring to call it “The Defeat of 1967” or simply the “June 1967 War”). This persistent ideological wound became the symbol of failed dreams for the “Arab Nation” or Arab states alliances – including the short but emblematic Egyptian-Syrian achievement of the United Arab Republic. Another major failure, to which Abdalla will respond through the paintings on display here, is the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat program of “opening up” (Infitah) the Egyptian economy and give way to political compromise with the US and Israel – Abdalla assimilating this period to a vast state of Coma for all Arab people and territories. In a collective statement by a group of Egyptian artists exiled in Paris (including Abdalla), published in the Egyptian local journal Al-Dustur, on 5 December 1977, one can read: “This disaster is far greater than the defeat of June 1967. Rather, it approaches the scale of the disaster that took place in 1948 (…) To destroy the Arab people’s noble three decades-long struggle against imperialism and Zionism (…) Sadat is exploiting the stifling economic crisis that Egypt is currently facing (…) We must resist this betrayal of our nation or be crushed under the wheels of global imperialism for generations to come.” The works presented here reflect Abdalla’s transformation of the Hurrufiyyah aesthetics, to achieve his own way of “Arab Letterism”. It claims for a deeply experimental, non-decorative, politically committed and non-commercial use of the Arabic letter...

" Flooded Cafe " 195 x 400 x 2 Indian Ink on Canvas 2023 Unique by Ammar Hammoud Syrian Contemporary Artist

Japanese Botany, Original Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media Textile Wall Hanging Artist Commentary: INSPIRED IN JAPANESE AESTHETICS Keywords: Abstract, Nature, patterns, circles, ovals, white Artist Biography: My artwork is engaged to nature and its recurrent patterns and rhythms. I use them as a base in order to create my compositions. I´m attracted to repetitive sequences, combining separate elements to form a cohesive group. It isn’t a strict conceptual idea of repetition on itself; my work doesn’t seek to impose an order or structure, but rather to enjoy the rhythm of repetition. Silk and paper have the softness and malleability that I need in order to create my desired forms, shapes and even shadows. The process to carry out my work is thorough and methodical. I choose as materials small and simple elements; such as feathers made out of paper and silk and then organized in a precise order. This allows me to build a group of entities that end up being the final artwork. My goal is to create projects that inspire, connect and touch people emotionally, taking the viewer on a journey through different ethereal, botanical and peaceful landscapes. I was Born in Santiago, Chile in 1973. I grew up surrounded by Chilean...

Sheila Daube is an abstract artist based in Southern California, whose work blends rich color, organic forms, and experimental mediums. Drawing inspiration from the mid-century Ameri...