Lebanese contemporary visual artist Abdallah Kassem unveils his solo exhibition, “The Red Sea,” opening on November 29, 2023, and running until December 29, 2023. Born in Ivory Coast in 1985, Kassem, known not only for his artistic prowess but also as a practising dentist, embarked on his artistic journey in 2017 at the Lebanese University of Fine Arts. Under the guidance of his mentor, Lebanese-American artist Ara Azad, Kassem honed his skills, laying the foundation for his distinctive approach to contemporary art.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Kassem to delve into new realms of expression. Utilising a thermal camera, he began an exploration of the intimate relationship between temperature and the thermal prints generated by the interaction of materials and the human body. This unique perspective became the catalyst for Kassem’s installations, inviting visitors to engage with and explore these intimate spaces.
In a noteworthy development in 2023, Kassem initiated collaborations with artists from Lebanon, Palestine, and Germany. Together, they conducted workshops and orchestrated live virtual experiences, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and fostering creative connections that transcended geographical borders. This collaborative effort underscores Kassem’s commitment to expanding the horizons of artistic expression, creating a platform where artists from different backgrounds can come together in a shared exploration of the human experience. “The Red Sea” is a visual journey that encapsulates Kassem’s evolution as an artist and the intersections of art, technology, and human connection.
« In April 2023, I woke up on the shores of the Red Sea to a golden sun. Hazy blue mountains slowly appeared, rising from the water, a still capsule of time travelling through the warmth of the visible light spectrum, of which I fell asleep, submerged in water, beneath shadowed mountains, shielded from the deafening blast of Beirut port explosion on the fourth of August 2020. Returning to the Dahab-Nuweibaa road, I encountered an ochre and burnt-umber desert landscape. »
Location: Galerie Tanit, Beirut
Dates: November 29 – December 29, 2023