Biography
When encountering Samia Halaby's large painting “Islands and Lakes" (2010) it is impossible to stand still. Large brushstrokes slash the picture plane as light seems to shine through openings that possess infinite vastness. There is not one central focal point but many areas upon which to rest the eye, as one's sight is guided along jagged angles, painterly markings and a continual saturation of color. Deep purples, airy blues and soft pinks intercept at various junctions, giving the composition the appearance of a cyclonic force as these layers seem to escape the two-dimensional surface of the canvas. To examine this painting is to move about in front it, leaping from one corner of the composition to another in an attempt to unlock its magic-the secret of what makes it so impacting. For “Islands and Lakes" is no ordinary work, it is the culmination of five decades of painting by one of the most innovative abstract painters working today.
By Maymanah Farhat