Abu Dhabi Art 2011

Booth | B14

Press Release

Ayyam Gallery is pleased to announce its upcoming participation in the 2011 edition of Abu Dhabi Art. Returning to this international art fair for the third time since its inception, Ayyam Gallery has organized a group exhibition of abstract painting that represents some of the region’s current trailblazers. From the beginnings of abstraction in contemporary Arab art in the work of pioneering painter Samia Halaby to the vivid compositions of Muteaa Murad, who draws inspiration from the geometric abstraction of Islamic art, this forthcoming show will highlight the innovative ways in which the Middle East has been engaged with non-figurative painting as an international school of art.

Vanguard New York-based Palestinian artist Samia Halaby, whose canvases are part of the collections of countless international institutions such as the British Museum, the Guggenheim Museum (New York and Abu Dhabi) and the Art Institute of Chicago, has long been hailed as a leader in contemporary Middle Eastern abstraction with a career that stretches back to the early 1960s. Often blending the creative with the political in work that strives to push the boundaries of painting while advancing along technological developments, she is one of the top-selling Arab artists today. Halaby’s mural-sized “Pyramid” (2011) is expected to be a highlight of this year’s Abu Dhabi Art.

Seasoned Gulf-based Syrian artist Thaier Helal has frequently ventured into new artistic territory, challenging the formulism of abstraction with large-scale works that tap into the inherent energy, movement and synthesis of bodies in motion. Helal’s large mixed media canvases demonstrate the evolution of an artistic style that is amidst a perpetual state of evolution. Inspired by the world around him, including the physical and psychic aspects of society and culture, his abstract paintings utilize experiments in palette, texture, and medium to trigger the senses. In his latest work, Helal has delved further into conceptual art, using found objects.

One of the few contemporary abstract painters to directly identify with Islamic art, Mouteea Murad has found spiritual and creative inspiration in this grand tradition, expanding its horizons through contemporary forms. By juxtaposing these seemingly diverging threads as he highlights their visual continuity and reinterprets their principles with new aesthetic constructs, he has taken abstraction in contemporary Arab art to new heights.

Founded in 2006, Ayyam Gallery is one of the Middle East’s leading contemporary art spaces. With a selection of cutting-edge painting, sculpture and photography that represents some of the Arab world’s most exciting talent, the gallery has sought to promote the region's dynamic cultural scene at home and abroad. For more information visit www.ayyamgallery.com

For any further details, please contact us at +971 4 4392395 or email difc@ayyamgallery.com

Selected Works

Samia Halaby 'Pyramid' 217 x 435 cm, Acrylic on Canvas 2011

Thaier Helal "Infinite" 220 x 240 cm. Acrylic and Polystyrene Balls on Canvas 2011

Artwork Detail - Thaier Helal "Infinite" 220 x 240 cm. Acrylic and Polystyrene Balls on Canvas 2011