Alha'a 2011

Curator: Here we have Abdul Qader Al Raes' "Alha'a", an acrylic on canvas created in 2011. Editor: My initial reaction is that of fiery intensity, softened by a dreamlike haze at the upper registers of the composition. Curator: Absolutely. The composition divides rather neatly into stacked registers of colour: warm yellows at the top give way to blazing reds and then, finally, cooler blues and whites. This, along with the layered brushstrokes, generates a remarkable sense of depth. Note also how the surface texture is disrupted by diamond-like shapes, creating subtle tonal variations. Editor: Indeed, it’s that interplay of warm and cool, the shifting diamond motifs—repeated, reflected—that arrest me. And, those seemingly floating glyphs at the painting's crown; they're stylized Arabic letters, right? Evoking perhaps a divine presence watching over this landscape. Or is it a cry for divine guidance? Curator: It's plausible, and aligns with traditional interpretations of abstract expressionism. The layering suggests perhaps a palimpsest—secrets partially hidden, and partially revealed. However, the focus on surface treatment pushes back toward purely formal readings; we can analyze these motifs and chromatic shifts in terms of how they disrupt the picture plane and construct a pictorial architecture. Editor: That is interesting. I see how those warmer colors advance visually, pushing the cooler tones further back, yet I return to my initial feeling of warmth. And aren't these colors also associated with specific emotions and cultural meanings? Red as passion or sacrifice, gold as enlightenment. The repeated forms lend rhythm and meaning that a strictly formal reading tends to negate. Curator: I see your point. Certainly, we could read the colour field itself as a symbol of inner emotional turbulence. However, let us consider the work’s engagement with painterly traditions… Editor: A stimulating dialogue, certainly, and I see this landscape differently now. I’m reminded that every image has its own biography, composed through colour and symbol and meaning. Curator: Indeed. Close scrutiny of its form reveals a kind of symbolic content, yet one still contingent on formal resolution. A stimulating exercise!