This abstract artwork features an earthy color palette with tones of orange, black, and brown. The composition is dominated by organic, intertwined shapes and patterns that create a sense of dynamism and movement. The artist has employed techniques such as burning or scorching the wood surface to achieve a raw, textural effect. The piece appears to draw inspiration from tribal or prehistoric motifs, evoking a connection to ancient cultures and their symbolic visual languages. The artist's intention may have been to explore themes of primitive expression, natural forms, and the inherent expressive power of simple mark-making. ...
Fathi Hassan transforms photographs, paintings, installations, drawings, and wall interventions into striking visual languages, where deliberately illegible text underscores the fragility of languages and oral traditions endangered by colonial histories. Hassan’s artistic investigations focus on the intersection of writing and speech, engaging with the erasure of ancient Nubian languages under colonial rule. Drawing on Kufic-inspired scripts, he transforms symbols and calligraphy from his heritage into abstract, textured compositions that hover between graphic form and literal meaning. His works often employ vibrant colors and collage, where textual elements merge with organic shapes drawn from the natural world—human faces, plants, flowers, animals, and celestial bodies—giving the text a sculptural or visual presence as compelling as its semantic content. Throughout his career, Hassan has also explored three-dimensional forms, most notably in his acclaimed Containers series, where vases and vessel shapes become a vehicle for the interplay of text, texture, and cultural memory. His work continually interrogates the power of language, symbol, and form as vessels of history and identity. ...
Founded in 2012, Richard Saltoun Gallery specialises in contemporary art, with an emphasis on feminist, conceptual and performance artists from the 1960s onwards. It is guided by a strong focus on rediscovering the work of important yet under-recognised artists through presentations at both its locations, online exhibitions, events and participation in art fairs around the world.
Since its inception, Richard Saltoun Gallery has been driven by an interest in serving a wider purpose and is now recognised for its critically and socially-engaged programme. In 2019, the gallery launched a year-long initiative titled 100% Women that aimed to address gender inequality in the art world and encourage wider industry action through debate, dialogue and collaboration. In 2021, it dedicates all exhibitions to the writings of German-born, American political philosopher Hannah Arendt in a 12-month programme On Hannah Arendt to confront some of the most perplexing socio-political issues of our time.
The gallery is considered a leader in its representation of female artists, from avant-garde pioneers of the 1960s and ‘70s, such as Eleanor ANTIN, Renate BERTLMANN and Gina PANE, to a younger generation of female artists including Silvia GIAMBRONE and Florence PEAKE. It continues to support female artists through extensive research, partnerships and solo presentations at the gallery and online.
Additionally, Richard Saltoun is noted for its support of pioneering artists who have pushed the conceptual and disciplinary boundaries in which they work, from LI Yuan-chia, one of the earliest proponents of abstract and conceptual art in Taiwan, to ULAY, the late photographer and performance artist, as well as British artists Victor BURGIN, Rose ENGLISH, John HILLIARD, Peter KENNARD, Bob LAW, Penny SLINGER and more.
The gallery preserves the legacy of artists through its representation of artist estates, including Helen CHADWICK, David HALL, Alexis HUNTER, Bob LAW, Marinella PIRELLI, Jo SPENCE, Barbara LEVITTOUX-ŚWIDERSKA and Shelagh WAKELY, amongst others. The gallery acts as a consultant to major museums and public institutions and advises private and corporate collections. It actively documents the work of its artists through the production of publications and frequently stages talks, screenings and performances. ...
