The December 2017/January 2018 show will feature the work of local painter Al-Abboud. Working primarily in acrylics, he creates complex and textural pieces reminiscent of mosaic tile work and often incorporating texts and symbols.
Artist Statement:
After spending two years as an architecture student, I realized that I wanted to be an artist instead of an architect as my family wished, even though it meant burning bridges and relinquishing emotional and financial support. I accepted the sacrifice as a price all artists must endure. I then forged into a new way of living as an artist.
Although I had changed my major, those early years studying architecture came to influence my artwork, which reflects the discipline of geometric patterns within which complex messages can be discovered. Duchamp’s cubist-style “Nude Descending Staircase” and Dali’s “Madonna” inspired me to create images that change according to distance and angle, not unlike one’s evolving perspective of the world across time and space. Such perspective invokes wonder, invites questioning and raises the consciousness of the viewer.
My detailed work is done with acrylic paint except for a brief experimentation with screen-printing, which was influenced by my career as a graphic artist. Working with acrylics fits my style while serving a practical function as I work over the entire canvas and need it to dry fast. Literature, music and travel provide a never-ending source of inspiration.