Each Canvas (framed) : 44”x 74” (116cm x 188 cm)Cement, Acrylic, India Ink, Powdered Stone, Pigments, Coffee, Iron Filings on Raw Canvas

The idea of building a home - a place for the artist’s spirit to reside - is the foundation of these paintings. On the canvas lies a textured topography of cement, shaped and channeled to engage the flow of ink and pigment. As it flows downward, the liquid’s traces are captured, evidence of its motion and emotion across the rough surface.

This material-driven approach was inspired by the artist’s observations of nature’s tangibility. The textured foundation of each painting is reminiscent of layers of worn stone and bedrock, while the fluid paint-drips streamed from memories of the sound of waves crashing against shorelines, and seeing rain rush down rock faces.

From the artist: “As I shaped the earthen cement surface, I envisioned my ancestors - ancient nomadic peoples crossing mountains and deserts. As I channeled the rain and water, I connected with the seafaring people whom I also descend from. In this series of paintings, I honor these distant peoples and theour journeys, but also the two primal elements which make up both our planet, and our corporeal bodies. Ultimately its a practice of viewing myself as an extension of the Earth, humankind’s one true home.”

These paintings were part of Traces of the Traceless, an exhibition at the Sharjah Art Museum, United Arab Emirates.