Mariam Nihal Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Ayyam Gallery will host Lebanese artist, writer and architect Nadim Karam's "99 Objects Possible to Find on a Cloud' exhibition on September 30 in Dubai. Born in 1957 in Senegal, Karam is currently working in Beirut. Karam's multi faceted body of work incorporates writing, painting, sculpture and drawing. The artist is renowned for his public sculptures, which can be seen in cities around the world including London, Prague, Beirut and Tokyo. His sculptural series, "Closets & Closets," is currently on display at the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris. Karam's multi faceted body of work incorporates writing, painting, sculpture and drawing. According to the gallery, his new work will be revealed alongside previously exhibited sculptures and paintings. Karam portrays dreamscapes through a unique pictorial language composed of symbols and characters that dominate his paintings and sculptures. For the exhibit, he frequently revisits the concept of "The Cloud" as a method of considering the space around oneself and looking at the potential narratives a utopian ideal can inspire, as well as a form of escapism from urbanization. Karam will present 99 printed works depicting fantastical combinations of elements from real life merged with his urban toy characters. The prints will be draped over the gallery walls and ceiling, creating a dreamlike "sky" within the space. The gallery announced that new works on show will include the sculptures, "Cultural Warrior 1," "Hannibal and the Elephant (2013)," featuring a dominant figure wielding a sceptre with the symbol of a cloud standing proudly atop an intricately carved elephant; and "The Walking Cloud (2013)," a dreamlike form that transpires from a mass of white feathers and mother of pearl buttons. The titles of Karam's works are indicative of a strong narrative thread which runs through each series, from the large-scale semi abstract sculpture such as "The Cloud," "the Fisherman and the Mutating Cities (2012)" to paintings such as "Boy on a Cloud Carrying an Elephant (2012)." "In Absurd Moments (2012)," part of the series "Shooting the Cloud," each individual element of the painting touches another, creating a chain between diverse symbols; a flower springs up from a plane on a collision course with an apparently unconcerned figure, who in turn perches atop a tank taking aim at the plane. Karam brings together these motifs of war and peace throughout the series to create for the viewers a fresh perspective into his descriptive realm. In 1996, he established Atelier Hapsitus, a satellite grouping of young Lebanese architects and designers that seek to create urban vocabulary though large-scale art installations and architectural works worldwide. Karam has been a part of various solo and group exhibitions worldwide, as well as biennales including Liverpool, Gwangju and Venice.
