THINKING OUT OF THE BOX

In 1978, I launched my artistic career while studying at Free Studio, University of Technology, using a special technique mixing between the figurative school that drew upon the design structure of the painting and several mythological and visual physics symbols alongside everyday materials.

Following that, I switched gears to an expressionism technique by adopting a merger between the composition structure of the academic painting Style and the freedom of color inspired by Abstract Expressionism and Neo-Expressionism. In 1984, I developed both topic and technique to settle with my favorite topics that expose the complexities of violence, eroticism, and war by utilizing basic visual themes, i.e., rhinoceros, seductive nudes, Biblical details, armed soldiers, with weapons of war, chemical and nuclear war outfits. Eventually, I focused on the rhinoceros (symbol of dumb, uncontrolled power), which I performed with plenty of reductions and insinuations.

In 1988 I switched from the old technique that blended the paintings of lusty nudes and violently obsessed rhinoceros to the technique I called "The Urukian Painting", which drew upon pictographic (Neolithic Clay Tokens & pictorial writings) invented and developed by my Mesopotamian ancestors at (Kish & Uruk), which later on I named the more advanced outcome of this style Logogramisim in 1992.

This resulted in triggering all kinds of responses and views within the established Plastic "Visual" Art circles, where I was split between those stating cautious viewpoints and those criticizing and appreciating my daring work. However, that did not preclude me from pursuing my work, which I started to improve from the 1988 printmaking to painting, where I added deities' symbols, demons, magical charms, and amulets formally used in Sumer & Akkad.

My technique is quite simple, yet also quite impossible to imitate. I love to work with layers and textures, using the hue colors directly from tubes with touches made by other altered and reformed colors, which allow me to create a wider range of shades and values that enhance the visibility of the subject. To improve my work and make it more compelling, I focused on exploring different media and unexpected materials, playing with shapes, space, proportions, and balance in a spirited and feisty manner. When it comes to making an artwork, I follow no rules, and there are no red lines. Making art and making love are quite similar. Thus, there are no limitations or obstacles that could stop me or hold me back!

Even though my ancestors' pictographic writing system is the foundation of my Logogramism Style, my work does not fall within the category of historical imitation, i.e., my paintings are not pictorial writings nor historical detailing. Neither are they abstract nor symbolic conventional paintings and sculptures.

In short, they are modern works that unite my deep, sincere emotions and my genuine contemporary technique and materials.

They are simply me and my world.

Amer Hanna Fatuhi