The free wrestling
In The free wrestling, two shadows face each other. They are separated by a strange face with two hands that could be the referee of their fight. The beings depicted in this painting stand out against a black background into which they blend and seem to disappear. On the canvas, Aysha E Arar uses acrylic and spray paint in a free, almost childlike figuration—an aesthetic reminiscent of Basquiat’s canvases that also draws on the iconography of boxing and combat. In this blurred narrative which places grimacing chimeras evolving in fluid uncertainty on the same plane, the two forms are evocative of a situation of opposition between two peoples, a reminder of the geopolitical context in which Aysha E Arar works. Serving the contradictions and dreams of the artist, this free narrative awakens the inner struggles that punctuate our lives.
Text written by Clara Delettre as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.
Exhibition
Galerie Sans Titre, Paris (France)
from 16 Sep to 15 Oct 2022