Abdullah Qandeel

Judith Charles Gallery, New York 
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2014

This work is in very good condition. The colours in the catalogue illustrations are very accurate, with the overall tonality being slightly softer in the original work.
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Saudi Arabian artist Abdullah Qandeel is currently expanding the boundaries of Saudi art with his bold use of color and line in abstract canvases. In a 2012 interview with the Saudi Gazette, Qandeel conveyed his pride in Saudi Arabia and his passion for fostering artistic growth in his home country. He referred to Saudi Arabia as “a melting pot that has resulted in a culture that is loving, warm and filled with potential. The Kingdom is blessed by God with its resources and is a canvas of sand waiting to be painted with monumental beauties that will last forever in time and remind future generations of the possibilities of today.” Qandeel indeed creates "monumental beauties" and is able to capture this spirit of new possibilities in his bold canvases; in doing so he hopes to inspire other young Saudi artists.

The Race, executed in 2014, is an exciting example of Qandeel’s continued desire to broaden the horizons of Saudi art. In the present work, the artist uses undaunted primary colors to create an inventive composition. The Race is subtly influenced by the artist’s Saudi Arabian artistic heritage, but is also combined with a newer, bold and unapologetic abstraction. As Eve Therond commented in 2013, "Abdullah Qandeel's paintings stand like intense emotional incidents, unleashing his deepest primitive part and emptying the stored emotional energy. His soul travels through deep layers of rough strokes to find yours in this highly intensely personal visual diary."(Exh. Cat., New York, Richard Taittinger Art Salon, Abdullah Qandeel, 2013, n.p.). The Race is a dynamic and commanding burst of fresh emotions, unbridled and unhindered by any outside forces. 

Since 2011, the artist has experienced international success exhibiting internationally in Jeddah, New York, and Monte Carlo. In 2012, Qandeel was requested by the Saudi Arabian Mission to the UN to exhibit as a solo artist at the Waldorf Astoria, New York in celebration of Saudi Arabia's National Day where one of his paintings was presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a gift to the US Ambassador to the UN.