Colours fuse together in Sun chasing.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Andakulova Gallery Dubai, has announced the hosting of Lebanese-Canadian artist Rima Chahine’s solo exhibition titled Almaz (May 5 - June 5). Chahine is self-taught and explores the human condition through abstract art in vivid colours and bold brushstrokes. A multiple award winner who lets the accolades sit lightly on her – she has been a winner in the Abstract Art Category of Global Art Awards 2018 at FIVE Palm Jumeriah, among others - she says her paintings “embody fearlessness, aggression through an impressionistic style”.

“I have always done it my own way, never following the rules,” she avers. Her art has a dual message: she puts out her personal experiences in it and is sure they will resonate with those of others. “After my separation,” she recalls, “I found myself raising my two young sons alone in a foreign country. It was a lonely and challenging time. But in my solitude, I discovered the mitigating power of introspection and forgiveness. “Today, my healing journey remains a priority for me and my sons, and it is reflected in every piece of art that I create. I am good at understanding the psychology of people, and it is shown in my art.”

Her previous positions, which include degrees in communication, art and business journalism, as well as work experience in PR and events, have also helped her engage with people and their persona. “I am an artist with a passion for self-expression through vibrant colours and abstract forms,” she further notes. “My work is a reflection of my innermost emotions and experiences, and I strive to evoke a sense of connection and introspection in the viewer.

“Through my paintings, I aim to convey the beauty and complexity of the human experience and inspire others to explore their own creativity. With each piece, I am constantly evolving as an artist and pushing the boundaries of my own imagination. For me, art is not just a form of expression, but a way of life.” For her, the individual is the universal and she says she feels the emotions every human being feels. So her pieces have the grand swoop of an orchestra, instead of just being songs sung solitary. It is to her credit she turned personal dejection into delectable art. ‘Almaz’ has various meanings, among which are “attractive” and “charming”.

 Rima Chahine is a Lebanese-Canadian artist.

Its contents live up to the title at their fullest. ‘Beauty’ opens out in glorious green, with rakish lines of red. The painting’s blue centre holds the image in a confident grip, allowing the colours to play their beauteous role, holding them in sweet control. ‘I see you’ is a look at life. Through the red dawn, peeps the first shining white of the morning. Waving lines of greenery move in a welcome for the day. ‘Lightning’ is where the heavens meet the earth. It presents a green meadow, done thickly in acrylic. Bands of yellow flowers move across the canvas, eager to meet the white and friendly brush of lightning. ‘Serenity’ encourages one to be at rest.

The flowing wash of yellow merges into neighbourly black, red and blue colours, each effortlessly in harmony. It is the artist’s way of telling us that experiences may be bad or good, but each have their own meditative place in our being. ‘Sun chasing’ has a centripetal effect. It is as though all the colours in the world have fused together to chase after the sun; the journey is yet a work in progress.

‘Endearment’ has charming splashes of paint liplocked with each other. They live the title they are bestowed with! Chahine’s tableaux are undeniably emotionally evocative. They explore experiences that have peppered her life, and are used as a vehicle to link with the emotional cores of others. Her oeuvre also allows her to associate collectors with her artwork. “Each painting has a message, a name, and an interior,” Chahine says. “I can tell which painting is right for someone.

When I meet someone, I know where they are in life and can see what they want, need, and which painting would match their character.” She has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar Art magazine, among other publications. Her artistic vision inspired by her personal journey and her passion for human emotions and understanding, is the fuel of her art.

Perhaps she is just the solution for the essentials of contemporary life, with its disruptions and need for dialogue. Chahine’s Lebanese-Canadian background has allowed her to travel between the East and the West; her art has been influenced by the both the winds of the East and the sails of the West. She is a symbol of the best the East and West can offer.

That she is being hosted by Andakulova Gallery adds more heft to herself and her art, since the gallery itself has been established to promote the dialogue between the Middle East and Central Asia. Andakulova Gallery’s objective is to promote Central Asia’s contemporary visual arts. It serves as a platform to exhibit and support emerging to mid-market contemporary artists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (or the ‘Stans’), across a variety of media.

Founded by Natalya Andakulova, its higher goal is to cultivate a dialogue between Central Asia and the Middle East by re-introducing the art of the ‘Stans’ to the artistic hub of Dubai. It wants to build relationships between artists, writers, specialists and collectors.