ABDULLAH AL MARZOOK (B. 1953), IMAGE OF THE DESERT

signed Abdullah Al Marzook in Arabic and dated '98 in English (lower left)

acrylic and mixed media on canvas

120 by 120.2 cm. 47 ¼ by 47 ¼ in.

Executed in 1998.

Abdullah Al Marzook was born 1953 in Al Saihat, where he currently resides. Al Marzook travelled to the US to earn his Bachelor of Arts from the Art Institute of Atlanta, graduating in 1975, before returning to the Kingdom as Head of Cultural Affairs at the headquarters of Youth Welfare in Al Qatif. His painterly compositions are inspired by the traditional architecture of the East Coast of the US; specifically, Al Marzook’s interest was piqued through the walls and windows he encountered, considering them a symbol for the isolation and emptiness engendered through contemporary life. He has exhibited locally and globally, and was the recipient of the Kharafi International Biennale award in Kuwait and the Jury Prize at the First Exhibition of Media Art.