6 days ago
The War Series, Ahmad Kasha , Solo Exhibition , Presented by Fann A Porter in collaboration with Ayyam Gallery
With an experimental, uncanny use of color, Kasha's paintings possess a tableau-like quality—reminiscent of theatrical scenes—where scale is exaggerated and figures loom large. Depicting five panels of distorted pink flamingos and flesh forms arriving on a shore, Season of Migration to the North (2019–2025) stands out as a significant works in the series—not only for its imposing scale, but for its thickly layered oil and acrylic application, frantic brushwork, and dizzying detail. The result is a scene that feels both frozen and frenzied, a moment suspended between stillness and mania. Painted over four years, the piece functions like a timestamp, capturing the artist's shifting emotions.
The War Series is inspired by key moments in the history of war imagery, spanning from ancient to modern times. Kasha references prehistoric cave drawings, Pharaonic depictions of the Battle of Kadesh, Assyrian reliefs like The Dying Lioness, the Palmyrene sculpture Lion of Al-L?t, and Trajan's Roman columns. He draws from Renaissance works such as Uccello's dramatic battle scenes, and modern interventions, Goya's Disasters of War, Picasso's Guernica, and the brutal, unflinching works of Otto Dix, Chaim Soutine, and Georg Baselitz. Kasha is also deeply influenced by his mentor, Leila Nseir, whose emotionally resonant and expressive techniques have profoundly shaped his introspective practice.
Symbolism plays a vital role in Kasha's compositions. Recurring motifs such as plants, birds, and embryos serve as metaphors for life and renewal. Amid the chaos, these figures affirm existence and the resilience of the human spirit. His works confront the dualities of existence- war and peace, beauty and brutality, hope and despair. This tension invites reflection, where Kasha's art acts as both protest and witness, destruction and renewal.
