Fann À Porter is thrilled to present a group exhibition with works on paper by Ahmad Kasha, Rabee Kiwan, Majd Kurdieh, Omran Younis, Arda Aslanian, Mais Azab, Randa Ali Ahmad, and Semaan Khawam. Each of the artists explores different materials within their practices, investigating different motifs and developing unique lexicons through their use of oil, ink, charcoal, and mixed media on paper.
Ahmad Kasha’s new works on paper created during his residency at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation in 2023 explore a new expression of color, movement, and composition. Fleeting moments and deliberate, nuanced color choices take over the compositions as the works are filled to the brim with quick, impasto brush strokes.
Meanwhile, Majd Kurdieh’s Fasaeen narrative continues in these new works, as Fasoon and Fasooneh return to their adventures. Kurdieh’s whimsical chronicles incorporate strong story-telling techniques and references to art history, as well as poetry and paradoxical introspection. Carrying strong morality and positive reinforcement throughout the works, the artist projects contradictions and irony in an unpredictable manner.
Following the success of Rabee Kiwan’s solo exhibitions, Black I and Black II, the artist presents a series of studies that led to the development of the Black I series. Recurring themes of the myriad emotions of the human’s expressive face, Kiwan’s inherent technique is ever-present in these small works on paper.
Semaan Khawaam, often referred to as the Birdman, constantly portrays imagery of birds in his expressive still lives and figurative works. For Khawaam, and as a generally used symbol, birds represent and possess a freedom of movement that humans do not. With these early studies, the artist then begins to question the interconnectedness of natural elements and human interaction with them.
Omran Younis’s deep understanding of color is ever present in these works on paper. Shifting from his prior focus on the stark realities of war toward these depictions is as relevant as ever in the artist’s practice. Transforming universally understood symbols, such as the cactus, into personal emblems, the artist raises questions of how the general public interacts and perceives personal symbolic gestures and references.
Arda Aslanian’s abstract theologies come forth in her new works on paper. Although her works normally depict meticulous details and figuration, these composition are a nod to the artist’s thorough understanding of geometric abstraction. Though, the works steadfastly remain within her investigation of the behavioral unwritten rules of beliefs, attitudes and influences in social groups or cultures.
Randa Ali Ahmad’s works on cotton paper have an ephemeral quality. Her multidisciplinary practice encompasses sculpture, painting, and drawing, each medium allowing her to explore the different elements of our natural world and that which surrounds her. Offering a quiet contemplation, the works depict pine trees and are a delicate ode to nature and its inherent intertwining with humanity.
From Mais Azab’s Obsessive Inscription series, these works on Japanese paper continue the artist’s exploration into beauty, repetition, and subtle imperfections. The works deviate between geometric constraints and refined gestures as they explore process through outcome. Her manual inscription process allows for organic, unpredictable changes throughout the composition
