Sabry Beshir Mohamed
Ashfield Boys High School
PEACE BE WITH YOU
Photomedia
Photoprint on Satin paper
My body of work represents my contortions of identity in questioning my faith, and how I found peace, not through or with others, but within myself. It expresses the past - where I've come from and what I've learned - as well as previewing the future - where I'm going. Elements of the work that seem to simultaneously appear and disappear question ideas of perception. I struggled to find a form of acceptance to keep my faith. I invite my audience to revisit their experiences to find that serene feeling of acceptance. If listened to carefully, these silent pictures will yell a story.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Anya Anti, Bruno Catalano, Renaissance artists.
Marker's Commentary
This exquisite large-scale photographic series of two images, captures the immense raw power of religious iconography and identity. Beautifully framed in a sea of rich velvet black tone, the devotee/figure is composed in a series of positions that echo the solemn motions of worship and loss. However, reference to traditional Western European classical female nude painting, is ironically transcended and juxtaposed within the imagery. The semi-nude male figure, draped with a white fabric, gazes over the shoulder and directly engages with the audience and is thought provoking. The highly ornate prayer rug is filled with floral and geometric designs. The prayer rug is centrally placed and photographed five times, perhaps signifying the expected number of times to pray during the day. The dramatic, crafted studio lighting, staging of the subject, evenness of colour and acutely sharp focus demonstrate the technically accomplished craft of photographic practice. A great curatorial presence is clearly noticed and complements the conceptual intentions of the artist.