When standing a few steps away from Marwan Sahmarani’s paintings at the Leila Heller Gallery in Alserkal Avenue, the reaction is almost immediate. In a region steeped in conflict, art becomes a channel for emotional expression. Vibrant colours make their way through the canvas, each seeming to tell a story different from the other. Titled Dirty Mirror Selfie, the works in this curation focus on the perceptions of distorted realities surrounding us, hence a befitting name. Sahmarani aims to show, through a provocative lens, the ugliness and chaos of world we live in while encouraging one to embrace its imperfections.
By challenging viewers to look beyond themselves and thereby evaluate their ego, the artist sets the stage for introspection. Each piece, with colours of skin and flesh, reflects the need to perceive oneself outside the limits of superficiality and as connected with an inner self. Sahmarani's solo exhibition makes the effort to bring the conscious and unconscious together, which means viewers can then understand the full meaning of the artist's efforts.
Take an hour out of your day to check out Sahmarani’s exhibition and immerse yourself in the world of uncomfortable truths in a lived reality. Dirty Mirror Selfie by Marwan Sahmarani will be on show at Leila Heller Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai until 15 December 2024.
