Fann Á Porter and The Workshop Dubai are pleased to announce The Downfall, an exhibition by Houssam Ballan.
“Run away, he said. Where to? I asked. Fall into the darkness, and so I did. There I saw myself. Never see but yourself and never come out of the darkness, he said. If I take you out of it, I will make myself known. If you see me, know you fell the furthest you could.”
- Mohammed Abdel Jabbar AlNifari, Iraqi Sufi 10th Century
True to its name, Ballan’s latest exhibition, The Downfall, explores the many meanings of the word. Inspired by the literary work of Mohammed Abdel Jabbar AlNifari., Ballan began first exploring what it is to fall out of ideology. In particular, a passage titled Who am I and who are you? influenced the first painting in the series, Falling 1, in which part of the passage is written directly on a black backdrop.
From there, Ballan realized this concept required much more than a single canvas to convey and so began the series. He explores falling out of ethics, the downfall of women in society, falling out of place, and falling out of critical thought.
Falling 3 is inspired by the Islamic book of fables, Kalīla wa-Dimna, depicting humans as animals and birds. The painting itself is figurative, showing no ground or sky, but rather emptiness. In the work, two men carrying the Sultan trip, causing him to fall, a darkly comedic take of the violence and cruelty of those in power. The “fall” is not so dismal in every painting — the bluebird’s fall represents freedom.
Alongside this concept of falling, ideology operates as a central theme throughout, depicting what our steadfast beliefs about war, religion, politics, and culture can do to us as a society.
One painting titled Fear depicts a man peaking behind the curtains. This is Ballan himself, fearing the unknown as a result.
As a general rule, Ballan opposes the use of too many colors. Throughout his paintings, he creates a sense of harmony and realism through specific combinations. The colors speak to the ideas conveyed and in this way, a balance is struck.
With a focus on elements and colors at the forefront, Ballan leaves interpretation up to the viewer. The human eye and human experience speak volumes to the way we experience art and it is precisely this that Ballan expects from those who interact with his work.