Untitled (from the 'waw' Series) 2007

Abdul Qader Al Raes made this 'waw' series painting with layers of watercolor, letting the colors pool and blend, making the process just as important as the final image. See how the paint isn't trying to hide itself here; it's thin, washy, almost like a dye, soaking right into the paper. The red isn't just red, it's got oranges and pinks bleeding through, making it feel alive. Then there are these shapes, these curves, floating in the fiery ground. Are they letters, or just abstract forms? Take a look at where the red meets the dark greens and blues near the bottom. It's not a clean line, it’s blurred, like looking at a landscape through a heat haze. I see echoes of Helen Frankenthaler here, that same love of letting the paint do its thing, finding the image in the flow. Ultimately, this painting is about embracing uncertainty. It invites you to look and feel, rather than just understand.