On Saturday, Jan. 6, artist-owned Archway gallery greets the new year with Inward Journey, an exhibition of unapologetically beautiful abstract paintings by Houston painter Mohammad Ali Bhatti.
With such provocative titles as “Sound of Color,” “A Hidden Agenda,” and “Mystic Convergence,” Bhatti’s finely detailed paintings are built up from multiple layers of acrylic, oil and resins, as well as spray paint and torn materials from the pages of magazines and books, giving the work a decidedly contemporary, street-smart edge. English words in a variety of commercial fonts, numbers, and calligraphic script appear as well, providing clues for the viewer as they navigate these mysterious, expressionistic landscapes.
Born and raised in Pakistan, Bhatti earned an MFA from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D in Interdisciplinary Arts from Ohio University, Athens. For the past 35 years, he has painted and exhibited around the world, including 35 solo exhibitions. In a statement, Bhatti describes his creative process as an “inward journey,” where “layers of color and bold brush strokes” are intuitively applied to the canvas which in turn inspire more finely detailed and representational shapes and imagery. “I strive for an aesthetic that encourages open-mindedness while harnessing positive energy and the power of imagination,” says Bhatti in a statement. “The process results in the appearance and disappearance of elements floating in neutral space and generates a sense of movement and energy.” Ultimately, it’s up to the viewer to “complete” the work by engaging each painting on their own terms. Where that journey may take you is anyone’s guess, but Bhatti’s artistry ensures the trip will be a pleasurable one.
'Mystic Convergence'
'Positive Energy'
Inward Journey opens Saturday, Jan. 6 at 5pm, with an artist talk at 6:30pm. Special events scheduled to coincide with the exhibit include a performance by Pakistani vocalist and guitarist Ayan Ali Junejo (Jan, 24); performances by La Speranza String Quartet (Jan. 10) and the Rice Alumni Quartet (Jan. 26); and Musicology LIVE! with Zachary Montasser (Jan. 21).
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LAST MONTH, IT was announced that Houston-based artist and Project Row Houses co-founder Rick Lowe’s majestic map collage The Line will be on permanent display to the public at the University of Houston’s new John M. O’Quinn Law Building.
Commissioned for the Public Art of the University of Houston System (Public Art UHS), the oldest and only collecting arts organization within the University of Houston System, the title of Lowe’s 108 x 96-inch acrylic and paper abstract collage, with its layers of emblematic domino-shaped patterns, refers to the Third Ward’s informal demarcation of Scott Street as the boundary between the University of Houston and the historically Black neighborhood in the early 1900s. “I wanted to create a piece that spoke to the complexity around urban development and the history of redlining, with the goal of ultimately inspiring people to examine these topics,” said Lowe in a statement.
Lowe, a MacArthur Genius who is represented by blue-chip gallery Gagosian, has explored these topics in other works, including his large-scale topographical painting “Project Row Houses: Hindsight,” which was a part of 2022’s acclaimed Urban Impressions exhibit at Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts. “University of Houston is in the Third Ward, and it’s important to emphasize we are part of the community,” said Public Art UHS curator Michael Guidry. The abstracted cartography of The Line quite literally blurs these boundaries, and by doing so, imagines an initiative on the part of UH and Third Ward stakeholders to work together to preserve the heritage and culture of their respective communities.
In a statement, University of Houston Law Center Dean Leonard Baynes said the installation of “The Line” highlights the issues and topics students are learning in their courses and research and aligns with Public Art UHS’s mission to promote cultural exchanges and engender social consciousness. “These artworks are mirrors,” said Baynes, “sometimes reflecting social inequities, and referencing what our faculty teach: Knowledge, ethics, compassion, and remedies designed to make the world a better place.”
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