![<p><span class="viewer-caption-artist">Nasser Al Salem</span></p>
<p><span class="viewer-caption-title"><i>[It is] The Work of Allah , Who Perfected All Things</i></span>, <span class="viewer-caption-year">2014</span></p>
<p><span class="viewer-caption-media">Hand drawn with Rotring ink on cotton paper</span></p>
<p><span class="viewer-caption-dimensions">21 x 29.7 cm (8 1/4 x 11 11/16 in.)</span></p>
<p><span class="viewer-caption-inventory">NAS0226</span></p>
<p><span class="viewer-caption-aux"></span></p>](/images/27082_h2048w2048gt.5.jpg)
Basmah Felemban
Last seen, 2014
Silkscreen pencil on paper
152 x 112 cm (59 13/16 x 55 7/8 in.)
BAF0013
Babak Golkar
Black Gold, 2010
Mixed Media
66 x 93 cm (26 x 36 5/8 in.)
Hand-made Persian carpet (silk and wool), carbon black acrylic paint
BAG0001
Babak Golkar
Imposition 3, 2010
Mixed Media
137 x 92 cm (53 7/8 x 36 1/4 in.)
Persian carpet and titanium acrylic
BAG0000
Daniah Al Saleh
Lean On Me, 2014
Water color, pencil on paper
152 x 112 cm (59 13/16 x 55 7/8 in.)
DAS0004
Dana Awartani
Within A Sphere 4, 2014
Pen and Pencil on paper
58 x 58 cm (22 13/16 x 22 13/16 in.)
From the Platonic Solids series
DAN0054
Dana Awartani
Within A Sphere 6, 2014
Pen and Pencil on paper
58 x 58 cm (22 13/16 x 22 13/16 in.)
From the Platonic Solids series
DAN0053
Rana Begum
No. 262, 2011
Paint on powder-coated aluminum
143 x 115 x 5 cm (56 1/4 x 45 1/4 x 1 15/16 in.)
RAB0001
Rana Begum
No. 456 - Fold, 2013
Paint on mild steel
Various sizes
RAB0000
Sara Salman
Solar, 2009
Ink on prepared paper
63.5 x 45.5 cm (25 x 17 7/8 in.)
SSA0000
Sara Salman
Lunar, 2009
Ink on prepared paper
63.5 x 45.5 cm (25 x 17 7/8 in.)
SSA0001
Nasser Al Salem
[It is] The Work of Allah , Who Perfected All Things, 2014
Hand drawn with Rotring ink on cotton paper
21 x 29.7 cm (8 1/4 x 11 11/16 in.)
NAS0226
Begum’s works draw inspiration from urban visual stimuli such as the abstract clashes of form and colour that can be seen in the city, and combines them with the traditional repetition of geometric form found in Islamic art. To view the work one is required to adjust their position for the work to unravel. As you move, the work reveals a constant shifting symmetry of colour that ripples, brakes, and reforms before your eyes. It is in this visual movement that Begum creates a compelling visual language where by with the tiniest of movements the surrounding chaos aligns itself into a moment of symmetry..
This is a exploration of objects, from an object orientated ontology exploring the use of a traditional arabic drum,(taar) as an embroidery hoop. exploring tunes made as the needle perces its skin, applying traditional Islamic and arabic patterns in gold thread. a Fight in gender roles and powers of embroidery on a male dominant instrument. This work is a part of an ongoing series of exploring traditional objects from an ontological point of view. and how embellishments affect use and formulates questions around the effectiveness of traditional use.
The piece is an interaction of human emotions; a depiction of human intimacy and vulnerability. The geometric shapes tilt at a certain angular corner to represent the exchange of human emotions. A codependent interplay between humans willing to expose the truth hidden behind masks of ego and pride. The piece describes the process of having both trust and courage to reveal the nature of oneself; whether subdued, or vibrant.
The piece is an interaction of human emotions; a depiction of human intimacy and vulnerability. The geometric shapes tilt at a certain angular corner to represent the exchange of human emotions. A codependent interplay between humans willing to expose the truth hidden behind masks of ego and pride. The piece describes the process of having both trust and courage to reveal the nature of oneself; whether subdued, or vibrant.
Nasser Al Salem’s training as an architect has taught him that all objects and creation has a premeditated system in place. This system maps out how components are fused together, how they function, and how then they effect its aesthetical composition.
His work as a calligrapher is also ruled by a system of geometric principles that allow this art an aesthetical, geometrical and spiritual composition, the latter as an extension of himself.
His work fuses a blueprint of calligraphy depicting a verse from the Holy Quran, [It is] The Work of Allah , Who Perfected All Things, [Chapter Al Naml, Verse 88] -- with the notion that all creation has a perfected blueprint in place; mapped out by the creator Himself. He imagines the insight gained, and the state a person would be in, should he observe the blueprint of all creation.
ATHR GALLERY TO DELIVER LARGEST EXHIBITION IN SAUDI ARABIA ON ARTS INSPIRED BY THE STUDY OF GEOMETRY / JULY 2014
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
For thousands of years, the question of whether the basics of geometry came naturally to all humans or if they had to be taught; has been explored. According to Plato’s writings, Socrates attempted to determine how well an uneducated slave in a Greek household understood geometry, and eventually concluded that the slave’s soul ‘must have always possessed this knowledge’.
In the midst of startling havoc; humans by this very instinct seek to find order in this chaos, to reason with it; translating it to a language that is perhaps visual and universal is a common field of exploration for scientists and artists alike.
Athr Gallery will deliver a groundbreaking exhibition titled The Language of Human Consciousness in July 2014 and will include work by over 40 artists from around the world. Most of these artists will be exhibiting work for the first time in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East at large. To inaugurate the opening on July 10, Director of TATE Modern London, Chris Dercon will moderate a discussion with pioneering artists in the field.
Athr Gallery has established itself as a leading cultural institution, in which providing a platform for local Saudi artists is at its core. Through this exhibition – in which both local and international artists will be showcased side-by-side – the intended impact and potential benefits are twofold: establish an association between local Saudi artists and leading international artists, and provide an opportunity for the public to experience international culture through a local exhibition.
The Language of Human Consciousness takes geometry as a starting point, accepting its heritage as a symbol of purity, intelligence and perfection and bringing it towards a more contemporary interpretation as a language for exploring the atypical, the imperfect and the alternative. Works are brought together that seek to dissect segments of times, contexts and places and open them up to universal interpretation. The works, in the potency of the contradiction between their infinite possibilities as geometric compositions and the range of their references – social, political, art historical or other - are reduced to a neutral ground: to a human and conceivable form.
The exhibition will examine geometry in a comprehensive exhibition that showcases a multitude of applications in geometry. The dynamic exhibition will include sacred geometry as well as work that unconventionally utilizes geometry, an example of the latter would be the work of Sama Mara, who will present a series titled A Hidden Order, a culmination of several years of collaboration between composer Lee Westwood and artist Sama Mara; where they attempted to interpret music into a visual geometric form. To realise this ambitious exhibition, Athr Gallery has collaborated with over 20 leading galleries around the world – From Lisson Gallery in London to Galleria Continua in San Gimignano and The Third Line in Dubai.
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