So far this year, the walls of Salwa Zeidan Gallery have played host to some astounding artwork. Back in January there was Globe – a large scale group exhibition presenting work by artists of 19 different nationalities, in which cultural identity was a key theme. Then there was Abdul Badi Abdul-Musawwir’s mesmerising monograph, in which the Islamic American explored his relationship with Allah through his bold, high-contrast canvases. And, most recently, there was Truth, a collection of paintings from a trio of highly talented Middle Eastern artists, in which work incorporated everything from woodchips to soap.
But with latest show Art in Space, the walls of the Khalidiyah gallery have been stripped, because this time it’s all about the sculptors. Nine of them, to be precise, hailing from America, Austria, Lebanon, Korea and beyond. With the exhibition now open to the public, we spoke to Salwa Zeidan about some of its key players.
Salwa Zeidan
‘If you look at my sculptures, you will notice a similarity to my two-dimensional work. It’s like a painting, but in three dimensions. All of my work is made from marble, which is a very difficult medium to work with, since it can crack. But I found a black marble that’s incredibly strong – stronger than steel – which allows me to carve it in this way. All my work is in black, too, which is a colour I also use in my paintings. Instead of using so many different colours to come up with a strong impact, I use black and get straight to the point.’
John Van Alstine
‘He does mostly monumental scale works, many of which are exhibited in public areas in the United States. He loves to mix mediums, such as marble, steel, bronze and wood. He uses all these materials together, which makes his pieces really unique. He has work in Beijing, right next to the Olympic stadium, and in front of many palaces and government buildings also.’
Gheorghi Filin
‘He’s originally from Bulgaria, but for the past 40 years he’s been living in Italy – near the marble, which he adores. He never sculpts in anything else, he loves this medium. He usually uses white marble, and he likes to make it very thin. In one of his best pieces he represents a woman as a fish. He’s saying that he cannot put his hand on women, cannot hold them in one place, since they’re slippery!’
Arya Azadi
‘She’s American originally, but left everything in her life and moved to India 10 years ago. She’s so upset with the world the way it is, the people who are ruining the planet, so she moved to the Himalayas to live with the pure people there. She travels the world in search of truth and beauty, so there are a lot of floral forms in her work. It’s a tribute to nature, to the beauty of nature.’
Caroline Ramersdorfer
‘She has a piece that’s about the inner self, where she opens up this big block of marble, for the light to come in. This refers to people – the more they open up, the more light comes in, and the more peaceful they become as a result. She uses lots of organic shapes in her work, but teams them with geometric forms as well, which is a really interesting combination.’
Art in Space runs until the end of August at Salwa Zeidan Gallery. Entrance is free.
