Abdulnasser Gharem “Hospitable Thoughts”

Marc Straus

[Image: Abdulnasser Gharem "Climate Refugee" (2022) Lacquer paint on rubber stamps on aluminum 42.9 x 63 in.]

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MARC STRAUS presents its first solo exhibition with Abdulnasser Gharem.
Abdulnasser Gharem (b. 1973) lives and works in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In Hospitable Thoughts, his first solo gallery exhibition in New York, he engages with themes of control and authority, as well as a desire to preserve and respect the history upon which traditional art is built.
In his country, Gharem has paved the way for the past twenty years with his unwavering commitment to social and political change through his artistic practice, and to the propagation of his studio school’s ongoing effort to foster truth, teach compassion, and develop ideas that break boundaries.

“Living and working in Saudi Arabia for almost a decade, I’ve had the unique experience of being immersed in two paramount revolutions at once: one social, the other cultural. Gharem has been a catalyst for the tremendous development of the contemporary art landscape we now see burgeoning in the region. The rigor of his work, his beautiful and powerful narratives has led to his recognition as a leading artistic figure in Saudi Arabia and beyond.” —Christina Lessa
Gharem invites us to look more closely at the ideological and physical barriers we’ve created that separate people on this planet. By seeing and listening, we have the possibility of understanding that different ideas, cultures, and beliefs have currency.