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فير زملر غاليري Sfeir-Semler Gallery

Sfeir-Semler Gallery is happy to present in its downtown Beirut space the solo exhibition of Aref El Rayess, opening on December 14, 2023.
First presented under the title Labyrinths, they are described at the time by Joseph Tarrab as “networks, which duplicate those of nature, science and industry [and in which] man is prisoner, as he struggles with an unprecedented identity crisis triggered by processes of globalization”, but also as “talismans, mandalas that allow to exorcise these fundamental contradictions”.

While extremely structured and sculptural, the paintings exude a seamless flow, as if created in a single burst, dismissing central perspective. Geometrical shapes spread over the whole surface of the work in bright and intense colors. They sprawl across the canvas, and beyond, covering the frames which become an integral component of the work. Although appearing spontaneous and automated at first glance, El Rayess had clearly carefully constructed his compositions.

Throughout the series, organic shapes travel from one work to the next, forming abstract landscapes or human shadows. Elements from the many “periods” of El Rayess emerge sporadically, with references to figuration such as the portrait of a man with a crowd at the base of his neck or silhouetted women all reminiscent of earlier works.

The depicted organisms use prisms and geometric motifs to form cheerful surrealistic cityscapes revealing discernible silhouettes within. Produced in the 1990s and drawing inspiration from the psychedelic era of the 1960s, the paintings on show still possess a contemporary freshness as though they had just dried at the studio.

The exhibition features a body of work from 1999 initially showcased at the Unesco palace in Beirut that year, only to remain unseen since. Vibrant paintings, simultaneously informal, constructed, and abstract, come together to create a series marked by a consistent handwriting, an uncommon trait for the prolific and versatile artist.