Resistance central theme of artist's show

Dubai: Resistance has been defined by artist Faisal Samra as the "attempt to prevent something by action or argument, physically or intellectually," and feeling this need is "healthy and a major element of survival and progress that keeps us constantly under pressure".

These definitions form part of his exhibition of the same title, currently running at Traffic until May 11.

The Bahrain-born Saudi Arabian artist — who studied at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris — began his career with drawings and paintings before migrating to performance and video installation.

In "Resistance" Samra has fused digital photography, painting, sculpture, video and performance to explore what he terms the human condition. Using everyday objects and situations, he aims to question identity, survival, mortality, liberation, hatred, belief and resistance itself.

During earlier years, Samra used basic materials — such as bamboo, thread and goatskin — in his art; whereas now his work has taken a more modern hue.

This shift, he told Gulf News during the preview, is because "the theme of the work dictated this. The theme of the work demanded [this] through the media", he said. Samra's works range from a bed with projection of a crying woman; and a piece of bread burning in an oven until there's nothing left; to a video installation of a man's face resisting an invisible wind force.

"The characters are rebelling against temporality, and trying, out of frustration, to counter the media image that controls and veils them. It shows how our visual field is loaded and invaded with images..." the artist said.

While the title of the exhibition leans to the recent regional uprisings, Samra said his subjects are "global" and relate to everyone.

What: Exhibition of Saudi artist Faisal Samra's works.

Where: Traffic gallery in Umm Suqeim.

When: Exhibition on till May 11.