Abdul-Rahman Abdullah
Wednesday’s child 2013
tinted resin, digital print, 240V chandelier
400 x 450 x 500 cm
image courtesy of the artist and Dianne Tanzer Gallery + Projects
The Gallery’s new annual program dedicated to displaying the works of Western Australian artists, WA Focus showcases recent and new works by local artists, selected to represent a mix of gender, experience and medium.
AGWA will work closely with Western Australian artists and the arts community to create inspiring displays for Gallery audiences that demonstrate the incredible depth of the State’s creative talent.
The space debuts with two high profile emerging artists: Abdul-Rahman Abdullah and Abdul Abdullah. The brothers have been making an impact on the local and national art scenes. The two artists often practice separately but once a year bring their art pieces together in a collaborative exhibition. In 2015 they will explore themes of cultural identity, memory and narrative in the inaugural WA Focus launch.
Seen together, the works in this exhibition detail the impact of their nine year age gap, as the pair had very different experiences growing up pre- and post- the events of September 11.
Accordingly, Abdul-Rahman’s works are gentle, poetic evocations of a family life animated by the stories of the Qur'an and family lore. He evokes a magical world where there is always more than just what we see. His sculptures combine family and religious influences in delicate and moving ways.
In distinction, art for Abdul is a vibrant outcry as he pushes the stereotypes that have contained him. His works in this exhibition express his personal feelings about how his name (“they fear my name”) and physicality have been read.
The WA Focus series program in 2015 includes exhibitions from the Abdullah brothers, Helen Smith, Graham Miller and incorporates one-on-one performances co-presented by Proximity Festival.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information you can visit the Art Gallery of Western Australia website, their Facebook page or their Twitter feed.