SOLO EXHIBITION (7 June - 31 July 2018) Mouteea Murad’s ‘Thresholds 3.0’ at Ayyam Gallery Beirut

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

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 select number of large-scale paintings in a different setting allows the viewer to further explore Murad’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. The artist’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.

Trial No. 133 - When Your Soul Got Mixed with Mine, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 185 x 250 cm / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

Trial No.123 - Manifestations at the Warm Sands, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 400 cm / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

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 Murad’s work continuously draws 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.

Trial No. 134 - Tunes of the Migrant Birds, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 185 x 250 cm / Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

The evolution of Murad’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.

Trial No. 108; Moments from the Happy Bow, 2015, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 100 cm / 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 DIFC, Dubai (2011, 2017); Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz (2016), Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2011); and Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2010). His work can be found in private and public collections.