Mouteea Murad: Thresholds 2.0

Ayyam Gallery Dubai (DIFC) is pleased to present Thresholds 2.0, the solo exhibition of painter Mouteea Murad.

Mouteea Murad, Trial No. 111, 2015, acylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

The second presentation of Mouteea Muradâ€™s latest body of work, Thresholds 2.0, highlights a selection of paintings from the artistâ€™s 2016 solo exhibition Thresholds presented at Ayyam Gallery Dubai (11 Alserkal Avenue). In this series Murad experiments with the use of mathematics in geometric abstraction, an approach to non-objective art that he developed over the course of a decade.

Presenting a selected number of large-scale paintings in a different setting allows the viewer to further explore Muradâ€™s emphasis on space and dimension, which he masters by both drawing on the formalism of Op art and using the Fibonacci number sequence as a starting point for his compositions.

Mouteea Murad, Trial No. 127, The Magical Night Journey, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 185 cm / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

Mouteea Murad, Trial No. 130, The First Magical Numbers Game, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 185 cm / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

The artistâ€™s use of the numerical sequence and mathematical functions results in an impression of motion and the illusion of expanding space within the works. His grid-like patterns partially conceal the interactions of the polygons and lines of the layer below them, creating an illusion of depth. As the distances between the grid lines change, the paintings appear to swell and contract in front of the viewer. Murad continues to draw inspiration from Islamic art while employing forms and lines largely defined by algebraic functions, allowing for his work to see a unification of spirituality and formalism.

Mouteea Muradâ€™s work sees a unification of spirituality and formalism, continuously drawing influence from the geometric forms and motifs of Islamic art. Murad began his career as a painter working on monochromatic, expressionist compositions that depict the anguish of modern man. In 2007, his work took on a renewed outlook that redirected his painting style, exploring relativity, spatiality, and the visual dynamic of geometric forms.

Mouteea Murad, Trial No. 132, Trance at Sunset, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 185 x 200 cm / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

Mouteea Murad, Trial No. 135, The Butterfly of the Dream Dances Alone, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 185 x 200 cm / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

The evolution of Muradâ€™s work is reflected through the gradual stages of abstraction in his compositions as he builds on the breakthroughs of previous movements, experimenting with automatic brushwork, the illusionistic perspective of Op art, the symmetry of geometric abstraction, and the collapsing planes of Suprematism. In his most recent series, his relationship with mathematics plays an integral role, with the Fibonacci numbers and sequence at its centre. His forms and lines are largely defined by algebraic functions and their geometric application within the work.

Mouteea Murad, Installation view, Tresholds 2.0, Dubai (DIFC), 2017 / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

Murad lives and works in Sharjah, UAE. He received a Bachelor of Art from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus in 2001. Selected solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz (2016), Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2011); Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai (2011); and Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2010). His work can be found in private and public collections internationally, including the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts.