‘Alienation’ by Sami Aboul Azm at Al Masar Gallery
Al Masar Gallery: ‘Alienation’ by Sami Aboul Azm
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157 B 26th Of July St., Floor 0
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Galleries
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11AM-9PM, Fridays by appointment
Jessica Noble
Famous for his life-like depictions of both people and objects, all of the images are painted on large canvases using strong, earthy tones. Each individual piece is titled using an emotive word to reinforce the feelings in the community they are attempting to project.
Moving on, we went on to appreciate the other pieces in the first section of the gallery titled ‘Seclusion’, ‘Hanging’, ‘Solitude’ and ‘Separation’, all of which were characterised through intricate paintings of women. ‘Solitude’ and ‘Separation’ both show women standing alone with vacant expressions, whilst ‘Seclusion’ shows a woman lying on a gritty floor, her face turned away to the side. A painting of a pair of men’s trousers, hanging on a wall, may have been metaphorically used to present a feeling of hanging and suspension.
A painting titled ‘Unveiled Ship’ was difficult to interpret; the ship was a pile of broken pieces, possibly an indication of the broken structure of society when the government’s corruption was unveiled.
Wandering through to the next and final space, following the previous theme of separateness, three more paintings of women were hung. A portrait of a pregnant woman contextualised the act of ‘Waiting’ whilst the painting of three women facing away from one another, wrapped in blankets, embodied feelings of ‘Isolation’ – even when in the company of others. His piece, ‘Shattered’, illustrates a woman sitting in a broken down area, appearing to render the shattering of dreams.