From 3 -11 June
Official opening: 10h30 on Saturday 4 June

The collection of 24 paintings ‘Abd El Kader’ comprises 21 ‘études pour un portrait’ (studies for a portrait) and 12 ‘fragments du rêve de la météorite’ (fragments of the dream of a meterorite).

The ‘études’ were inspired by reading the spiritual writings of Emir Abdel Kader, essentially the book Kitab Al Mawâqif and the 19 metaphysical poems that form the introduction to it. It is a matter of establishing a direct connection, a confrontation through painting, rather than a physical portrait: ‘This comes from those who see only with their fleshly eyes and never look beyond to the uncommon and the secret.’ (Mawâqif 149).

The ‘dream of the meteorite’ expands the dimensional clarity of the thoughts of Abd El Kader, to discover a state of illumination often found in dreams, those direct lines between God and His manifestation: ‘God said to me, ”Do you know who you are?”, and I answered, “Yes, I am the no-thing manifested by Your manifestation, I am the shadow that illumines Your light”.’ (Mawâqif, the supreme identity).