bassmi.com

Artist Statement

 

I chose abstract painting to give me access to a space beyond words. Rather than representing the outer shape of the world, these paintings express the fluid dynamism of all life. My work is a dance between myself and the medium allowing both intuitive fluidity and disciplined control.

 

In the studio the white canvas is contemplated in meditative silence, enabling me to enter into a special plateau of my inner being. The image shows itself unfolding over the surface of the canvas. Each work is totally spontaneous and usually made in a single session of several hours and then revisited numerous times to add layers of depth and tonal value. I use diluted oils and synthetic varnishes to create movement in translucent layers of color. The painting is totally alive during its creation, combining the freedom of the movement of the paint with an innate sense of aesthetic balance. The beauty and subtlety of what takes shape can only come from deeper layers of the inner self.

 

My work is concerned with the physical, the emotional, the mental and the spiritual self. All exposed with nothing held back. The viewers are invited to enter into a different area of their awareness, where the intellectual mind is silenced and the simplicity of the inner self is opened to lead them into the paintings.

 

Seeing the moments of joy as the viewer contemplates the work completes my sense of fulfillment as an artist.

 

                                                                                                                                           - Bassmi Ibrahim