Ayyam Gallery Beirut is pleased to present Mohannad Orabi’s most recent body of work in a solo exhibition titled Mu'allaqat.
Alluding to the seven ancient pre-Islamic Arabic poems that were written in gold and suspended from the Ka’ba’s black cloths, Mu'allaqat consists of hanging curtains on which Orabi’s signature, larger-than-life characters demonstrate how a transformation in the artist’s attitude towards life trickles down into his practice. Paired with playful, vibrantly coloured accessories that breathe joy into Orabi’s otherwise stoic protagonists, the literal lightweight quality of his chosen medium reflects the artist’s determination to embrace life’s uncertainties as they come, allowing for spontaneous forms that result from the challenges of a new environment.