I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Thursday July 30th — —

The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Thursday July 30th — —

“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Thursday July 30th — —

Coming to Terms by Abdul Abdullah

The intriguing show named ‘Coming to Terms’ is emerging artist Abdul Abdullah’s New York debut, featuring a new series of performative photographic portraits. The 29-year-old Abdullah is one of the most interesting emerging artists coming out of Australia, who after graduating from Curtin University had a focus on painting and in recent years moved into photography and video.  Notions of contemporary ceremony, genesis, ritual, reinforcement of personal identity, cultural hybridity and intimate aspects of the self are revealed in his work through his darkly distinctive oeuvre that is confronting and deeply elucidating in regard to the human condition. We are super fascinated by both the images itself as the symbolic instilled in them, and look forward what the future will hold for this exciting young Australian artist. When in New York see this incredible work!

I’m a seven generation Australian with a direct ancestor who was a convict who arrived in Australia in 1815, but I’m also a Muslim, my skin is brown and my name is Abdul-Hamid bin Ibrahim Bin Abdullah, so there’s that superficial conflict, and that idea of what is home, and nationhood.

Abdul Abdullah is a third time Archibald Prize finalist, the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia, a rarity for an artist of his years. Born in Western Australia in 1986, Abdullah graduated in 2008 from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. His work is included in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, Artbank, the University of Western Australia, Murdoch University, The Islamic Museum of Australia and The Campbelltown Arts Centre.

This year alone he is participating in several shows across Australia, his work will also be featured at Sydney Contemporary Art Fair for the second time. He will also participate in the Primavera showcase as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and the Asia Pacific Triennial in the Gallery of Modern Art in Queensland. Abdullah will also be doing the Chinoiserie Residency this year, curated by Andrew Nicholls at the Brighton Pavilion in the United Kingdom. His work has recently been showcased at the START Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery in London, Art Stage Singapore and now has found its way into the United States.

Abdul Abdullah is represented in New York by CHASM Gallery and represented by Fehily Contemporary in Melbourne, Australia.

All images courtesy of the artist Abdul Abdullah and CHASM Gallery.

CHASM Gallery is located at 56 Bogart St, Bushwick, New York.
Opened Friday from 18:00 – 21:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 13:00 – 18:00.
On weekdays the gallery is open by appointment only.

For more information see here.