EXHIBITION AT XVA GALLERY, Dubai (Oct 24 – Dec 9, 2015) Al Braithwaite: ‘Breathe In The Healing Light of the Universe, I Am With You’

Al Braithwaite, Composition II / Courtesy of XVA Gallery

Sharp divisions of black and white fields constitute a landscape of fundamental forms. What propels them in the mind of the viewer is the dramatic contrast set up by the forms’ physical all-or-nothing presence, and the subsequent inadequacy set up when the viewer recognizes the forms to be both alien and part of a greater whole.

Each composition takes it shape from dismembered forms prevalent in the day-to-day semiotics of global consumer capitalism. Hence each composition devotedly traces the familiar patterns and arcs made as the mind of a viewer. The central theme spoken to is the force of corporate ideologies and brand myth. An art concerned with the basics of people selling themselves towards these aspirant dreams; the consoling force of believing in such dreams. In sum the black and white dichrome series’ use of details from daily brand identities may not in the end be able to promise anything and since the ordinary person cannot reliably tell the difference between the meaningful thing hidden in plain sight and the meaningless one, s/he is simply left to continue playing among the recesses, points, flanks, angles, necks, curves, narrows, sweeps, flourishes, postures, noggins, feet, serifs, conduits, smoothnesses, alignments, hollows, folds, lips, ledges, and shelves.

Al Braithwaite, Composition VIII / Courtesy of XVA Gallery

Al Braithwaite

Al Braithwaite (b.1979) is a contemporary artist from London, who works across a variety of disciplines including sculpture, assemblage, found material and installation. From 2005 Al pursued more solo work, continuing the same low-budget model but for his own purposes. An interest in considering different contexts led him to places like Ground Zero, United States, and Trinidad in the West Indies, which have both impacted his work. Hybrid textures play a significant role in his practice.

Last summer his work The Limes Installation (2014) showed to small audiences at Alice Yard, Port of Spain, a non-profit project space with an ongoing residency programme in its seventh year. Previous solo exhibitions include Museum No.1: Hizbollah’s Caviar at Rose Issa Projects, London (2009); Twinned Towers at Leila Heller Gallery, New York (2011); Transgressions at XVA Gallery, Dubai (2012). His work is in numerous private and public collections including the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Private Collection, Abu Dhabi; the Salsali Private Museum (SPM), Dubai; the Sheikha Paula al-Sabah Private Collection, Kuwait; the Moez Ahamed Jamal Private Collection, Zurich; the British Council Collection, Tehran; the Art Fund Collection, London; The Farook Collection, Dubai; Vasili Tsereteli Collection, Moscow; the British Museum Collection, London.

Al Braithwaite, Composition XIII / Courtesy of XVA Gallery

XVA Gallery

Established in 2003, XVA Gallery specializes in contemporary art from the Arab world, Iran and the Subcontinent. Exhibitions focus on works by the regions foremost artists as well as those emerging onto the scene. The gallery’s artists express their different cultural identities and perspectives while challenging the viewer to drop prejudices and borders. XVA Gallery exhibits both locally and internationally; collaborating with galleries and participating in international art fairs, such as Art Basel Hong Kong, SH Contemporary, Singapore Art Fair and Abu Dhabi Art in 2014, in order to further expose Middle Eastern contemporary art.

XVA Gallery and XVA Art Hotel are located in Dubai’s heritage district, now called Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood. XVA founded and organized the Bastakiya Art Fair from 2007- 2010 as part of its commitment to raising the profile of contemporary art practice in Dubai. For three years XVA was located in DIFC, and has now expanded its premises in Al Fahidi.

Al Braithwaite, Composition XVIII / Courtesy of XVA Gallery