Habeeb Mohammed Abu-Futtaim
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Pan-Arabist Abstractions (2023-present)
Acrylic on canvas, Acrylic on traditional Wizar fabricEmerging from a series of smaller experimental studies, Pan-Arabist Abstractions evolves the rigid geometries of Arab flags into fluid, intuitive forms. Departing from the flags’ primary color palette, these works transcend their symbolic origins, morphing into gestures that interrogate both the act of painting and the complexities of identity. Rooted in the aesthetic tensions between Western abstract expressionism and Arab visual culture, the series reflects an introspective dialogue—an attempt to reconcile the paradoxes of my multicultural Arab identity shaped by a Western art education. In navigating the binaries of decolonization and hybridity, tradition and abstraction, these paintings become both a site of personal negotiation and a visual testament to the unresolved spaces where my history, identities, and aesthetic legacies converge.