HASHEL AL LAMKI | UNTITLED

Leila Heller Gallery, Dubai/New York

In 2007, Hashel Al Lamki (b.1986, United Arab Emirates) attended Parsons the New School for Design in New York City, where he received his BFA. Born in the UAE, Al Lamki experienced not only the rapid industrial and architectural growth of Dubai and the rest of the Emirates, but also the cultural complexities and dynamics that came as a result of the construction boom.

It was in New York City that he was able to nurture his passions and define his practice through multidisciplinary collaborations. His work builds upon concepts of social innovation, sustainability, environmental as well as philanthropic modalities.

This body of work is part of a series of 12 drawings (graphite on paper) shown at a group exhibition at the European Parliament in Luxemburg curated by Maisa Al Qassimi in 2015. The drawings depict different body postures of elite decision makers in juxtaposition to their harsh and rigid exterior. By replacing the faces with various fruits, Al Lamki is both concealing their identity and examining the weaker side of their human characteristics.

Al Lamki’s most recent exhibition is his first solo show, The Cup and The Saucer, at Warehouse 421 (2020).

Al Lamki lives and works in Abu Dhabi.