Hisham Sharif on the tumultuous break-up that inspired his first Dubai solo
We are intruding. The woman scowls at us in the mirror as she pulls back from the man sitting next to her on the bed. Have we heard or seen something we shouldn’t have? Our angled perspective from between the bed and the mirror certainly suggests this, as if we – as viewers – are crouching by the console table, trying to remain unnoticed. Our place in Hisham Sharif’s paintings, however, is often…
Hisham Sharif's solo exhibition, Allusive Veil, at Ayyam Gallery in Dubai, is a series of paintings inspired by his tumultuous break-up in 2023. The Bahraini artist, known for his monochromatic approach, created this exhibition after his fiancée broke off their engagement and his father fell ill. Sharp contrasts and eroticism are present in the works, featuring women in spaces filled with textiles and flowers, reminiscent of Orientalist painters from the late 19th century.
Sharif insists that his work is an authentic expression of his own Arab-Persian identity, infused with the experiences of his Bahrani heritage and Persian roots. The paintings show a rollercoaster of emotions, from heartbreak and chasing after heartache to acceptance and finding peace of mind.
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