Suez Canal 2019

Alaa Awad painted ‘Suez Canal,’ using what looks like acrylic on a canvas measuring 150 by 300 centimeters, and the result is an ode to process. The muted colors and almost naïve style make it seem like an ancient fresco, a kind of folk art with a fine art sensibility. Awad builds up the surface with thin washes, creating a layered effect. The brushstrokes are visible, giving the painting a tactile quality; you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the canvas. Take the white horse in the lower right – its simplified form and slightly awkward posture are incredibly charming. It's a symbol of progress perhaps, or a wry comment on the idea of progress. There’s something of Paula Rego in the way Awad handles narrative and figuration, using simplified forms to tell complex stories. Ultimately, Awad’s ‘Suez Canal’ reminds us that art is a conversation across time.