Oil stick on raw canvas
Each canvas: 48"x84" (214 x 120 cm)

These paintings were created by rubbing the surface of large boulders discovered in the arid mountainous landscape north of Dubai. Seeking communion with the earth which underlies and permeates the hypermodern metropolis.

My ancestors descend from this region, and by working within the landscape, I hoped to make contact with them for the first time. Thus, I created a series of expressive stone rubbings which translate the textures and forms of living boulders out in the desert, and the resulting paintings depicted my conversation with these ancient stones and spirits. 

The resulting images are a testament to the dynamic exchange between past and present, countering our preconceived notions of permanence and finite life-cycles. Each silently reflects the notion that even the mountains erode before our eyes, if only we could pause long enough to notice.