artsawa is proud to present in the exhibition “Collective View” by Wael Darwesh.

 

“In the past few years I have been much concerned with the changing perceptions and the state of continuous social metamorphosis that Egypt has witnessed in the last three decades. In my mixed media projects, I try to probe several phenomenon that constitute for me some permanent obsessions, like time, its relevance to the subject matter employed, elements of migration, gender, identity, among other themes that attract several Egyptian artists of my generation. Technically, I apply assemblages to create installation/ sculptural states that transcend simple two-dimensional art forms; through the studied and experimental use of collage I combine colour, calligraphy, textile, and various textural media to explore issues of space and passage of time.” explained Wael. 

 

Wael Darwesh’s previous painting projects in the past few years were inspired by American Colour Field painting and French Lyrical Abstraction, where large “fields” of flat solid colour colonize harmoniously large areas of the canvas to create a homogenous surface of flat picture plane, stressing on the overall consistency of form over the brush movement and brushstrokes. Contrary to standard Colour Field and Lyrical Abstraction, Wael for years has successfully combined abstraction styles and painterly techniques with elements of figuration and cognitive representation. 

 

Wael Darwesh reached the boiling point in his latest works. Although he tried to remain calm, questions kept creeping up in his head; questions without answers crammed themselves before his eyes. 

 

Often to keep hope alive, only self-deceit was the option, the only way to stay alive. 

Ultimately, avoiding reality seemed the only choice to avoid perishing in anger. 

Beside these issues, Wael considered Art is his profession and this establishing a strong connection with the political situation, with political dialogue and discourse. His Art provides a visual drama often including glimpses of the real world through photographs, as eye-witness to actual events. 

Wael’s series of works reveal the poetic beauty that can result from painstaking manipulation and this collection is a pure joy.