Syrian artist Khaled Takreti is known for his witty way of dealing with socio-political themes, and his Pop style, which has influenced an entire generation of contemporary Arab painters.
The paintings in his last series were uncharacteristically devoid of colour and dominated by tragic, bombastic or menacing characters, reflecting the ongoing conflict in his country. But in his latest show, “LOL”, the colour and humour are back as he focuses once again on the intricacies of daily life and social interactions. The artist defiantly finds humour in everyday life, subtly reminding viewers about the disruption of normal life in Syria.
Takreti has used an innovative multistage process for creating the paintings in this show. He began with appropriated or photographic imagery, from which he created stencils that served as outlines, making the figures and objects look like etchings on the sparse background of his untreated canvases. Resembling facsimiles of advertisements or print media, the isolated figures, placed alongside inanimate objects or minimally described settings, emphasise the flattening of space generally associated with mass-produced imagery.
The artist has also used areas of bright colour to guide the eyes of viewers across the compositions, amplifying the symbolism of specific figures and objects.
For example, in a work titled “220 Volts” a woman’s head has been transformed into a bright red and yellow speaker, while her body is composed of black and white lines making it look like a transmitted image. A pile of outdated communication devices and stereo equipment lying beside the surprised woman playfully comments on our high level of dependency on electronic goods and media in today’s world.
Similarly, in “Blow Dry” the presence of a woman getting her hair dried in a salon is manifested merely by her clothes and accessories, with her head and body missing.
The artist’s work often includes self-portraits that merge a personal narrative with explorations of the modern social image. His mother and grandmother often appear in these paintings as symbols of softness, memories, and influences that shaped his personality. There are several new self-portraits in this show, indicating Takreti’s return to an introspective approach. In a work titled “My Heritage” he is seen wearing his late grandmother’s clothes as he repairs a child-size puppet. The unusual composition offers insights into his own psyche, while also recalling the past and commenting on the present situation in his country.
“LOL” will run at Ayyam Gallery, DIFC until March 12 .
The Post Oriental Odyssey
The latest exhibition at The Mine, “Postlude Volume 1: The Post Oriental Odyssey”, explores the influence of cultural identity in Middle Eastern contemporary art through the work of emerging artists from Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The show examines various facets of the post-oriental journey and the development of a new vocabulary for a new generation. It features installations, performance art, works on canvas and paper, sculptures, photography and new media pieces.
“For this series the artists have researched the effect of ‘Orientalisation’, the re-orienting, and the neo-orientalising framework that dictates the movement of the Middle Eastern art scene, to see whether it has influenced their work, ideas, and identities as artists. As the occidental contemporary art world has benefited from the cultural and intellectual support of the gallery in recognising the value of art, defying artistic norm in the 20th century, it has since been witness to an undisturbed stream of art movements.
“This show aims to identify where the space for experimentation and dialogue is when it comes to the need of the artists to revolt against a mainstream in order to secure an authentic artistic signature; and whether or not the local art space can become the real playground for experimentation, dialogue and critical discourse, free of any prerequisites.
“These artists have explored the internalised identification of post-colonialism and the established image of the oriental legacy, the commercial art market’s penchant for oriental exoticism, and how occidental development works as an influence. I hope they have been able to revolt in a neutrally playful impulse without becoming utilitarian or a means of promoting a framework of local cultural identity or a foreign ideology,” curator Mo Redha says.
The works on display offer refreshing new perspectives on various subjects. Bahraini artist Mariam Haji’s “Glory and Pain” examines the issue of prostitution as seen from the perspective of the religious female community in her culture, while also highlighting the impact of European art history and art education on the GCC art scene.
Abdullah Al Othman’s live performance “No Touch Torture” involved the Saudi artist listening to 21 songs on his iPod inside a confined space. The work refers to torture reports from Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib prisons and is a revolt against the misuse and weaponisation of music throughout history.
Emirati artist Nasir Nasrallah has used found objects such as switches, buttons, wires and various tools to create a series of sculptures titled “Useless Machines”, which comment on the numerous machines around us that we could easily live without.
And Kuwaiti artist Mohammad Sharaf’s witty posters, tinged with humour and sarcasm, highlight various socio-political issues. “Living in a region that is characterised by constant turmoil has taught me that our mission as designers and artists is to be socially active in our respective communities. Throughout 2011, I discovered new dimensions of social activism, which inspired me to create socio-political posters. We Kuwaitis are good at sarcasm, which I have used effectively to criticise my own society,” the artists says.
“Postlude Volume 1: The Post Oriental Odyssey” will run at The Mine, Al Quoz until March 8.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts enthusiast based in Dubai.
