Sadik Kwaish Alfraji: Nothing, Nobody

31 October - 15 December 2011

On view from October 31 through December 15, this forthcoming exhibition will involve a new installation of recent paintings and videos. Together, these works revolve around a narrative that the artist describes as “Eyes which stare into nothingness, and a hand that dreads the void.” Emphasizing the collective, which he often combines with the personal, Alfraji introduces the exhibition by stating, “Fastened to our places we are, intoxicated by the illusion of motion and ruminating on dreams.”

 

His large-scale paintings on paper, which are executed in Indian ink, charcoal and rice, possess a notable fragility, much like the solemn, shadowy figure that reappears in his work as part of an ongoing exploration of man amidst a heightened sense of desolation and conflict. Frequently working with philosophical undertones, he incorporates literary references in the titles of his paintings and videos as a means of placing his anonymous figure within the plight of humanity.