By Ola Galal with Paul Casciato - Reuters Life - Dubai, UAEMonday, February 11, 2008
Senegalese artist Amadou Kan-Si's paintings might not be in the typically distinctive geometric and calligraphic style of most Islamic art but they are meant to capture moments of spirituality in Muslim prayer.
His "Ritual" exhibition brought from Dakar to Dubai shows Muslims in postures of prayer and casts a light on the Islamic tradition of transcendence or Sufism.
"In Sufism, when we're standing in prayer, we're like trees, when we're bending, we're like other kinds of animals; it's like saying everybody in humanity is praying," Kan-Si told Reuters at the opening of the exhibition late on Saturday.
"The exhibition is about ...(the idea that) when we are praying, it's like we are writing on space, because we have different postures. It's about a visual formulation of transcendence by human beings."
A painting titled Nocturne 1 shows beige gown-clad human figures in a row, one standing straight, one half-bent and another bowing --all resembling alphabetical shapes, all praying against a backdrop of black arches and a marine-blue sky.
Born in Kaolack, Senegal, the 46-year-old artist graduated from Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Dakar. He has exhibited his works in cities as diverse as Marseille, Rio de Janeiro and New York.
"Exhibiting in Dubai is an interesting opportunity for me to see how, when I relocate my work to a Muslim country in the Middle East, people interact with this concept that people from my surrounding already know," Kan-Si says.
Religious traditions in countries with Muslim populations -- from Senegal in the west to India in the east -- can vary according to different interpretations of Islam.
In Senegal, for instance, Sufism -- an Islamic esoteric tradition -- is widespread, in contrast with the Gulf Arab region, where a more doctrine-based interpretation of Islam prevails.
But despite presenting a Muslim theme in Ritual, Kan-Si believes, his art is not strictly meant to be appreciated solely by his co-religionists.
"The person who collects this work is not a Muslim and he appreciates it; one of the functions of art is that it talks about humanity from the different points of view," he says.
"After sharing it in France, in Brussels and in America and my country, I want to take it to Egypt, Morocco and other North African and Middle East countries."
Dubai, known more for its mega construction projects than its art scene, is increasingly attracting contemporary artists, especially from neighbouring Iran and South Asia, as exhibition venues multiply.
Kan-Si's works are on display at Total Arts Gallery in Dubai's industrial Al-Quoz area until Feb. 19.
His "Ritual" exhibition brought from Dakar to Dubai shows Muslims in postures of prayer and casts a light on the Islamic tradition of transcendence or Sufism.
"In Sufism, when we're standing in prayer, we're like trees, when we're bending, we're like other kinds of animals; it's like saying everybody in humanity is praying," Kan-Si told Reuters at the opening of the exhibition late on Saturday.
"The exhibition is about ...(the idea that) when we are praying, it's like we are writing on space, because we have different postures. It's about a visual formulation of transcendence by human beings."
A painting titled Nocturne 1 shows beige gown-clad human figures in a row, one standing straight, one half-bent and another bowing --all resembling alphabetical shapes, all praying against a backdrop of black arches and a marine-blue sky.
Born in Kaolack, Senegal, the 46-year-old artist graduated from Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Dakar. He has exhibited his works in cities as diverse as Marseille, Rio de Janeiro and New York.
"Exhibiting in Dubai is an interesting opportunity for me to see how, when I relocate my work to a Muslim country in the Middle East, people interact with this concept that people from my surrounding already know," Kan-Si says.
Religious traditions in countries with Muslim populations -- from Senegal in the west to India in the east -- can vary according to different interpretations of Islam.
In Senegal, for instance, Sufism -- an Islamic esoteric tradition -- is widespread, in contrast with the Gulf Arab region, where a more doctrine-based interpretation of Islam prevails.
But despite presenting a Muslim theme in Ritual, Kan-Si believes, his art is not strictly meant to be appreciated solely by his co-religionists.
"The person who collects this work is not a Muslim and he appreciates it; one of the functions of art is that it talks about humanity from the different points of view," he says.
"After sharing it in France, in Brussels and in America and my country, I want to take it to Egypt, Morocco and other North African and Middle East countries."
Dubai, known more for its mega construction projects than its art scene, is increasingly attracting contemporary artists, especially from neighbouring Iran and South Asia, as exhibition venues multiply.
Kan-Si's works are on display at Total Arts Gallery in Dubai's industrial Al-Quoz area until Feb. 19.
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