Penumbra: Textured Shadow Coloured Light

Saatchi Gallery, London
3 OCTOBER - 19 NOVEMBER 2018

PENUMBRA: TEXTURED SHADOW, COLOURED LIGHT

Saatchi Gallery, London

3 OCTOBER – 19 NOVEMBER 2018

Our immediate surroundings; the culture, society and environment that we inhabit, influence our perspective
and shape creative expression.

Rashid Khalifa’s latest body of work was inspired by his interest in the significance of the mashrabiya, a characteristic of Middle Eastern architecture. Typically a projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wooden latticework on the second story of a building or higher, its purpose was to ensure privacy where the occupant can see but cannot be seen, whilst also giving shade and protection from the suns heat, allowing a breeze to pass through.

What materialized from this research, were structures with indeterminate spaces; colorful lattices, suspended architectural apparitions and a meandering gridlocked maze, demonstrate how our perception is affected by the interplay of the dualities that they present.

Interior and exterior worlds collide, interlock and envelop one another. To our minds eye, these works appear to resonate and vibrate; a sudden change in view creates the illusion of movement, the result of several illusory effects. Yet the shadows cast are the antithesis of this illusory vibration, as they remind us that what we see is real.

Simultaneously and paradoxically reactive and receptive to our presence, this exhibition emphasizes the moment of transition
when contrary forces – light and dark, internal and external, illusion and reality – become complimentary and create a tangible duality. In the words of the artist, Penumbra is that partially illuminated, indefinable space that nurtures
an aptitude for insight and perception.

Presented by Bahrain National Gas at Saatchi Gallery
Curated and produced by Eva McGaw and Tatiana Palinkasev

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rashid al khalifa exhibition maze artwork
penumbra exhibition rashid al khalifa
Penumbra: Textured Shadow, Coloured Light