Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s exhibition showcases a selection of the Emirati artist’s monochromatic works, examining his relationship with the landscape of his birthplace and the meditative nature of his practice.
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s exhibition showcases a selection of the Emirati artist’s monochromatic works, examining his relationship with the landscape of his birthplace and the meditative nature of his practice.
Watch Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s Art Dubai Portrait, where he discusses his journey as an artist, his multi-media practice and the influence of his native UAE.
The artist’s work is heavily inspired by his relationship with Khorfakkan, a city in the Emirate of Sharjah which is located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates and flanked by the Gulf of Oman on one side and the Hajar Mountains on the other.
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s native Hajar Mountains in the city of Khorfakkan, on the east coast of the UAE
Ibrahim only uses material grown and gleaned in his environment to create his works. This connection translates into explorations of mediums as influences in his artistic practice. The artist also draws inspiration from some of the inscriptions found on the surfaces of the mountains and deconstructs their graphic elements.
This results in sculptures reminiscent of ancient cave drawings, that have come to life through the natural pigments present in the material he uses.
This results in sculptures reminiscent of ancient cave drawings, that have come to life through the natural pigments present in the material he uses.
LANGUAGES OF THE DESERT — 2005
Installation view, Kunstmuseum Bonn
His handmade objects are shaped like tools, bones or parts of trees and appear to have been unearthed from some ancient den, rather than handcrafted.
The same graphic elements also inform the rest of his practice, in which he creates elements - a simple line, a geometric form, or numerous forms together - that he continues to repeat, rendering his practice both meditative and reflective.
He uses his exploration of these symbols and lines found in nature and translated internally as commentary on the effects urbanisation has on nature.
In these works on canvas, Ibrahim creates black and white ‘lines’ that are repeated in a variety of shapes and sizes, punctuated with subtle introductions of colour, covering the entire surface of the canvas, marking time through this repetitive process.
ELEMENTS — 2018
Installation view, Sharjah Art Foundation
Untitled — 2017
Oil on canvas
70 x 50 cm
USD 8,000
Untitled — 2017
Oil on canvas
70 x 50 cm
USD 8,000
Untitled — 2017
Oil on canvas
70 x 50 cm
USD 8,000
Untitled — 2017
Oil on canvas
70 x 50 cm
USD 8,000
Ibrahim’s papier-mâché works are black and white canvas-like structures, naturally pigmented from the paper used in the creation process. These wall pieces are representative of the artist’s obsessive mark-making, similar to the lines and marks of cave paintings of his native Khorfakkan.
The Space Between the Eyelid and the Eyeball — 2019
Installation view, Lawrie Shabibi
THE SPACE BETWEEN THE EYELID AND THE EYEBALL — 2019
Installation view, Lawrie Shabibi
Untitled — 2017
Cardboard box, wooden skewers, papier-mâché
41 x 24 x 6.5 cm
SOLD
Untitled — 2018
Cardboard, twine, papier-mâché
64 x 38 x 9 cm
USD 5,000
Untitled — 2016
Cardboard, tarp, twine, papier-mâché, acrylic
65 x 49 x 6 cm
USD 6,000
Untitled — 2016
Cardboard, papier-mâché, wood
67 x 15 x 14 cm
USD 4,000
Untitled — 2016
Cardboard, twine, papier-mâché
81 x 47 x 8 cm
USD 6,000
Untitled — 2017
Cardboard box, papier-mâché, twine
28.5 x 25 x 6 cm
USD 3,000
Untitled — 2015
Cardboard box, papier-mâché, twine
62 x 40 x 20 cm
SOLD
Untitled — 2015
Cardboard box, skewers, papier-mâché, twine
40 x 34 x 10 cm
USD 5,000
Window Bar 3 — 2017
Paper, fabric, glue, acrylic
80 x 140 x 15 cm
USD 18,000
The unrestrained and somewhat spontaneous process of combining lines and geometric shapes to create the symbols that populate many of Ibrahim’s paintings and site-specific works, is as integral to the artist as the final work produced.
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Sharjah, 2018
These repetitive symbols, often regarded as a language, take on a life of their own, adapting to their new environment.
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Madinat Zayed Market, Abu Dhabi, 2019
White form on black — 2016
Acrylic on canvas
145 x 120 cm
USD 18,000
Black form on white — 2016
Acrylic on canvas
145 x 120 cm
USD 18,000
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim came of age as an artist in the UAE in an era in which the visual arts were not yet valued culturally or taught in university degree programs. In 1986, when he met the late artist Hassan Sharif (a founding member of the influential Emirates Fine Art Society), Ibrahim was pulled out of a secluded practice and created unshakable friendships and collaborations that were the foundation of the UAE’s creative community.
That avantgarde included the conceptual artists who formed The Flying House collective, a space where a community of artists (also known as 'The Five') shared their ideas and created and displayed artwork: they were the late Hassan Sharif, Abdullah Al Saadi, Hussein Sharif, and Mohammed Kazem.
Ibrahim’s work has been shown in exhibitions at Sharjah Art Foundation (2018), NYUAD Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi (2017), Kochi Biennale Foundation, Kochi (2016), National Pavilion UAE, la Biennale di Venezia (2009), Dhaka Biennial (1993, 2002), Havana Biennial (2000), Cairo International Biennial (1998, 1999), among others.
Since 1986, his work has been presented frequently in the annual exhibitions of the Emirates Fine Arts Society, Sharjah, and it has also been featured in Sharjah Biennials 1–6 and 8 as well as numerous other regional and international exhibitions. His works are in international collections, including Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah Art Museum, Art Jameel, Dubai, Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, Kunstcentrum Sittard, The British Museum, London and Centre George Pompidou, Paris.
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim will represent the United Arab Emirates at la Biennale di Venezia 2022.
Lawrie Shabibi was founded in 2010 and opened its doors in early 2011 in Alserkal Avenue, located within the light industrial warehouse district of Al Quoz in Dubai. Following the relocation of several renowned galleries, this quickly became the hub of contemporary art in the region.
Lawrie Shabibi supports the long-term development of the careers of young international contemporary artists, with a focus on those from the Middle East and North Africa, and more recently diasporic artists within the UK. The gallery has also organised art historical exhibitions, working with an older generation of artists from the Middle East and North Africa region. By holding a regular programme of exhibitions, screenings and talks, publishing catalogues and participating in international art fairs, in the space of nine years we have been a forerunner in the development of the contemporary art scene in Dubai. Recently the gallery has opened a London outpost in Cromwell Place.
The two founders are Asmaa Al-Shabibi and William Lawrie. Asmaa, previously managing director of Art Dubai, has instigated many initiatives and collaborations including the Abraaj Art Prize. William was the founding director of the Middle East contemporary art department at Christie’s, where he planned and oversaw the first nine auctions in Dubai.
Images are courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation, NYUAD Art Gallery, Haupt & Binder, Mariam Alnaqbi, Anna Seaman, Lawrie Shabibi and the artist.
Lawrie Shabibi
Unit 21, Alserkal Avenue, Al-Quoz 1
Dubai, UAE
T. +971 4 346 9906
W. www.lawrieshabibi.com
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim at work in his studio in Khorfakkan
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