neon

aab ~ water

Oil on canvas with neon light

The two large formats stand out in the series. Ahmad Rafi had already broached the subject of the ships graveyard in the “miniature paintings”. Here he is on land, but water still plays a pivotal role.

The puddle spread out across the ground serves him as a mirror for a ship wreck. Upside down it seems like a ghost ship stranded on inhospitable surroundings. The muddy ground and the wreckage scattered everywhere also communicate great desolation. It’s as if even on land, water develops destructive powers. The artist originally wanted to treat the two paintings with a white varnish to emphasise their coldness and shock effect even more. But when he couldn’t find a suitable white he turned to other means to create a cold light. He installed two daylight neon tubes across the two paintings to achieve the desired light effect.


Oil on canvas, 2016/2018, 150 x 200 cm