Moataz Nasr:Collision
Lawrie Shabibi is pleased to present Moataz Nasr's frst solo exhibition in Dubai. Nasr is a multi-media artist who employs painting, sculpture, photography and video to explore the fragility and complexity of current social, economic and political conditions. Taking as his starting point the surroundings of his native Egypt, he translates his observations into the universal language of human despair and suffering - but also of love and hope. His art is, on the one hand, lyrical and playful and on the other a daring account of the debilitating suffering of everyday life.
Nasr draws on traditional forms of cultural expression, such as calligraphy, embroidery and Sufi poetry, to manifest his socio-political concerns. Using these traditional methods his intention is to engage an audience that may not be familiar with the language of contemporary art: If his art is a reflection of society then it must engage with that society. Action is an integral part of Nasr鈥檚 work and many of his installations are placed in public places that have no relationship to art: parks, churches and monasteries are the backdrop to many of his pieces. Nasr鈥檚 intention is always to remove art from its ivory tower and expose it to the wider society.
An artist who seeks to challenge his audience with existential questions, and to provoke them to reflect on the transpersonal and metaphysical, Nasr is interested in merging the material world with the spiritual. He creates a philosophical journey where he deliberately invites the viewer to look within, to mediate on the meaning of life and to reflect on the role that ancient philosophy and ritual plays in their life.
The past is always prominent in his works, with references to fables, ancient relics, story telling, religion and personal histories: Nasr is constantly exploring its relationship to the present. At the heart of his work is the question of how, and at what level of consciousness, are we able to transcend the past in order to navigate the present.
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Lawrie Shabibi is pleased to present Moataz Nasr's frst solo exhibition in Dubai. Nasr is a multi-media artist who employs painting, sculpture, photography and video to explore the fragility and complexity of current social, economic and political conditions. Taking as his starting point the surroundings of his native Egypt, he translates his observations into the universal language of human despair and suffering - but also of love and hope. His art is, on the one hand, lyrical and playful and on the other a daring account of the debilitating suffering of everyday life.
Nasr draws on traditional forms of cultural expression, such as calligraphy, embroidery and Sufi poetry, to manifest his socio-political concerns. Using these traditional methods his intention is to engage an audience that may not be familiar with the language of contemporary art: If his art is a reflection of society then it must engage with that society. Action is an integral part of Nasr鈥檚 work and many of his installations are placed in public places that have no relationship to art: parks, churches and monasteries are the backdrop to many of his pieces. Nasr鈥檚 intention is always to remove art from its ivory tower and expose it to the wider society.
An artist who seeks to challenge his audience with existential questions, and to provoke them to reflect on the transpersonal and metaphysical, Nasr is interested in merging the material world with the spiritual. He creates a philosophical journey where he deliberately invites the viewer to look within, to mediate on the meaning of life and to reflect on the role that ancient philosophy and ritual plays in their life.
The past is always prominent in his works, with references to fables, ancient relics, story telling, religion and personal histories: Nasr is constantly exploring its relationship to the present. At the heart of his work is the question of how, and at what level of consciousness, are we able to transcend the past in order to navigate the present.
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