Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery at JustMad Mia

Attending this fair, the gallery closes a year in which it has participated in four different art fairs in four different continents at events in Casablanca, Madrid, Beirut and now Miami. In her participation in Miami, Sabrina Amrani (French from Algerian origin) presents art from Maghreb to Pakistan through United Arab Emirates: the whole MENASA region. The main body of Sabrina Amrani’s proposal for JustMad Mia comprises a reflection on the changes that are occurring in the arab world by Zoulikha Bouabdellah (Algeria), the mughul miniature painting update by Waqas Khan (Pakistan) and the conceptual and urban art by UBIK (India).

Zoulikha Bouabdellah / Mirage blue to black / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

Sabrina Amrani proposal for JustMad Mia includes the new original edition of the Mirage series by Zoulikha Bouabdellah, Mirage blue to black, with which she makes an reflection about the Arab Spring, a process with so uncertain outcome as any other revolutionary process but that will legate -for sure- icons that will last. The artist has found one icon of her own: the silhouette of the first Mirage plane from Gaddafi’s air forces to be brought down by the libian rebels. Bouabdellah has placed this icon in a series of mosaics inspired by the geometric repertoire of Islamic art.

Zoulikha Bouabdellah / Mirage Graphic II / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

Zoulikha Bouabdellah / Mirage Graphic III / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

Zoulikha Bouabdellah / Mirage Graphic V / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

Sabrina Amrani’s booth also hosts the special universe of Waqas Khan, who gives a twist to the traditional miniaturist technique of South Asia. He uses a single instrument to draw his works: a Rotring accurate marker 0.1, to create freehand, point by point compositions seemingly abstract but that actually make the viewer travel through the creative process of the pakistani artist, a sort of dreamlike trance that requires maximum concentration from Waqas during days, weeks or months. Khan’s works are created from conceptual ideas taken from the cultures, traditions and myths of South Asia, but also from the muslim, sufi and hindu identities. He works small scale miniature in big scale format.

Waqas Khan / Forming Spaces VI-VII-VII / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

Waqas Khan / Dance In Retina I / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

Waqas Khan / Interruption / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

The gallery from Madrid takes to Miami the latests works by UBIK, emergent artist who has a strong influence from urban art. These works are Rant 5#, #6, #7 and #9, part of an ongoing series that takes the concept of an 'anonymous saying' as a departure point to explore the notions of catch-phrases. The aesthetics of the works are modelled deliberately as a 'memorial plaque' to lend some fake authoritative tone. The memorial plaque aesthethics are also UBIK’s way of exploring the idea of legacy for his words. The texts used are mainly open ended absurd statements or questions, and are derived from random snippets of writings from UBIK's journal.

UBIK / Rant 5# / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

UBIK / Rant 6# / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

UBIK / Rant 7# / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

UBIK / Rant 9# / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery

UBIK will also be present with his artwork Quote (Two layers of lenticular lens, 70 x 70 cm. Edition of 3). This piece addresses the deliberate prevention of information in the world by news media and other agents. The text in the artwork talks about the idea of control over the truth by the state, news corporations and the corporate world on a daily basis. The text is placed in two layers of lenticular lens so when it is read it pixelates, censoring itself.

UBIK / Quote / Courtesy of Sabrina Amrani Art Gallery