At first glance, UAE-based Egyptian artist Hazem Mahdy’s abstract photographic artworks resemble the geometric patterns seen in Islamic art or in fractal art, which is inspired by the symmetry in nature. But a closer look reveals that these digitally created patterns are actually composed of repeated images of the artist’s body. Mahdy’s style was inspired by a vision he saw while meditating. The image that appeared in his mind was that of a tree with roots and branches made of human arms and hands holding on to each other to form a massive grid of interconnected hands. In his last show the artist tried to create visual interpretations of this mental image by using photographs of his own arms, hands and torso to create a series of interesting patterns.
In his latest show, “Atman”, Mahdy explores this concept and technique further. “I am a deeply spiritual person and am interested in learning about different philosophies. This work is inspired by my trips to India and Nepal, where I was introduced to the concepts of ‘Atman’ and ‘mandalas’. Atman refers to the soul or essence of an individual that is eternal, unchanging and indistinguishable from the essence of the Universe. And the mandalas are circular drawings used by Buddhist monks as tools for meditation. They are essentially metaphysical representations of the cosmos. For me the process of creating these artworks was similar to that of making a mandala and it helped me to discover and express my inner self,” he says.
The artist has used images of his arms and hands in various “mudras” (meditative hand poses) to create beautiful patterns that have an innate feeling of balance and tranquillity, and a hypnotic quality that draws the viewer in towards the centre. “Because the mandalas looked interesting, I did a lot of research on how they are made and what the patterns mean. But initially when I tried to create those kind of patterns in my studio it did not work. I then realised that it is a subconscious process that will happen only if I let go. So I changed my approach. Before starting a piece I would meditate and listen to chants to put myself in a zone where my thoughts and feelings flowed out spontaneously. This entire series is a form of ‘automatic art’ with each piece capturing a transient moment of pure and honest self-expression. The blue I have used throughout this series is the colour of the ‘throat chakra’, which is the chakra of expression,” Mahdy says.
At their core, the artworks are deeply personal and essentially self-portraits of the artist. But the hands within these organic patterns also represent all of humanity and the bond that exists between human beings and nature. “Ultimately my work is about unity. Like the hands in these patterns, the souls of all human beings are interconnected, regardless of the differences in our culture, religion or beliefs. The hands are a symbol for reaching out and supporting others and connecting with the Universe,” the artist says.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts enthusiast based in Dubai.
“Atman” will run at Carbon 12 until June 10.
