Lot 41: Mahmoud Hammad (Syrian, 1923-1988)

Mahmoud Hammad (Syrian, 1923-1988)
Bilad Al-Arab
signed and dated 'Hammad 79' and in Arabic (lower right); signed 'Hammad' and signed and titled in Arabic (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
39¼ x 43in. (99.5 x 119.5cm)
Painted in 1979

Since the 1950s the use of Arabic letters and calligraphy in contemporary Arab painting and sculpture has spread rapidly. In fact, and that it became rare for any Arab artist not to experiment with these traditional motifs.
Hammad's approach was quite different from most. Rather than attempting to treat the characters in a clear, readable way, his style instead developed into a more mysterious way of rendering the words, expressing their message his highly abstracted compositions.