THE THREE ABSTRACTIONS: love, time and death

As an invited artist for the new Eclectica Collection’s space, we are excited to announce a new exhibition ‘The Three Abstractions: Love, Time and Death’ with Hussein Salim. The exhibition will feature a series of work from Salim’s catalogue to form a solo show. The exhibition has been curated around themes that are prevalent to his natural working motifs and the elements that frequently pop up in his works.

Born in Karim Sudan in 1966, Hussein Salim, found himself, along with other Sudanese artists and critics during the 1970s and 1980s conflict, exploring the dialogue between the importance of heritage and contemporary Sudanese art. Through his rich impasto paintings, Salim reflects this dialogue through the use of personal symbolism of his dual African and Islamic identity, and through this coalescence his work creates a personal conversation with the viewer of the effects of a diasporic background. Here, his works allow a space for appreciation of diversity.

Salim’s paintings express a vivid intensity that demonstrate his accomplished and adept familiarity with the medium. His forms and colours combine, symbolising his own psyche and subliminal musings on topics of identity and heritage in the contemporary discourse. However, what is critical is that the shapes and forms in his work only leave just enough clues to catalyse thinking rather than explicitly demonstrate an idea. The busyness of each work requires quiet contemplation, asking the viewer to juxtapose the noise of the world with the act of quiet introspection. Using a number of recognisable painting techniques, the works evoke a sense of layered anticipation and a multiplicity of influences. This speaks back to his grappling with identity and impact of art within the context of his life. The paintings have been described as landscapes in themselves, mass grids of engaged surfaces, in which worlds and societies can exist.

As a contemporary African artist, Salim is faced with the weight of art history and political dicourse as equally pertinent to his formation as a voice within the conversation of makers.  As such, Salim gestures to the work of other painters but also to history, culture, mythology and situation. His work contemplates the ordeals of human life, returning again and again to symbols of love, time and death.

– Clare Patrick

Artist Statement:

As an Artist, expression has come to me as a matter of trying to grow the feeling and capturing the essence of the little things in life (the details) in their presence and their absence. My  aim was refreshing the memory of the viewer, about shifting environments and its people. My aim was to draw light to the tiny details that no one pays attention to.

It is always a process to fully create the replicas of my view of space, atmosphere and the “ins-and-outs” of these microcosms. It is so laborious for people to appreciate the small things in life until they realize that time is running out and attempt to absorb the world all at once. I interpret this as an echo of educating the viewer. Showing the viewer how to listen carefully, and see the “seams” of the great painting that is life. In these artworks, I discovered that my purpose and my aim were the same.

The journey that I took (and I still am on) has shown me what I truly want. More. Not more of life, but more from life.

The knowledge of this understanding has changed me, as I wake up everyday, I

open my eyes a little more. I try to see a little deeper and understand the inner workings of my surroundings. I do this now with a renewed passion, commitment and sense of wonder at my findings. The growing of my experience has led me to rethink my understanding of the very world I live in.

The material used to weave the world around us cannot be truly comprehended by the human mind. For someone living the life of royalty to the poorest of the poor, I truly believe that this way of thinking can make life more dynamic and give it depth.

My artwork always needs to convey my passion. What I believe, is that artwork is supposed to reach beyond the boundary of the frame and break the laws of physics, society and the very way our minds work.

These paintings are my thoughts married with action. These are when I have “jumped out the frame”. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did creating them.

– Hussein Salim