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Wusum Showcases works of Yemeni-American Artist Ibi Ibrahim

Wusum Gallery showcases And I Bathe in Your Nacreous Gaze with 11 photographs and two video works from a decade of Yemeni-American artist Ibi Ibrahim’s practice.  Through intimate encounters of familiar and unfamiliar, Ibrahim’s work invites viewers into a space of vulnerability and connection, encouraging a journey of mutual-discovery. We get in touch with Ibi Ibrahim to understand his individual journey within the broader discourse of identity, isolation, and the transformative processes of images. The exhibition at Wusum Gallery is ongoing till October 26, 2024.

As a leading voice among Yemeni contemporary artists, Ibi Ibrahim’s work is informed by his socio-political and cultural context as a Yemeni-American visual artist. His practice, which combines story-telling with recent experimental techniques with expired paper, offers a perspective on Arab identities, particularly through Yemeni viewpoints. And I Bathe in your Nacreous Gaze serves as a lens for the viewer to engage with the display on a personal level, creating an environment where shared vulnerabilities become a source of insight.

According to Lina Ramadan, the curator behind And I Bathe in Your Nacreous Gaze, in Ibrahim’s works, the act of seeing becomes more than mere observation, it turns into an intimate exchange where the gaze is not only transferred but rather transformed. Ibrahim’s art explores the connections between body and space, the intentional and the spontaneous.

Ibi Ibrahim.

Ibrahim is intrigued by the indepth study into his body of work but has his own intentions behind his art.  “Generally speaking, and while I always have my own intentions behind the work, I do enjoy how the audience can hold their own interpretations and thought process towards the work on display,” he says.

“The photographs on display at Wusum Gallery are from different bodies of work that were made over the course of a decade. From as early as 2010 and until 2020. While I don’t have a series titled the Nacreous Gaze, and this was a title that was developed by the talented curator of the show Lina Ramadan, I can see how form fitting it can be,” he says about the story telling behind the collection at Wusum Gallery.

Drawing inspiration from May Ziadeh’s Song to the Moon, this show engages with intimate encounters that are comforting, following an approach used by Ibrahim that is grounded in the tension between the familiar and unfamiliar, and asks: What occurs when we enter spaces that seem known, but in fact, are uncharted? How does the gaze shift from mere representation to a tool for exploring new possibilities?

Through these inquiries, Ibrahim’s work invites viewers into a space of vulnerability and connection, encouraging a journey of mutual-discovery. The presented works document various moments in cities and with individuals, reflecting the subtle energies they impart. His early work, often presented in series, transforms familiar settings with the use of staged backgrounds, frames and symbols, to create a space for continuous reimagining, like in the work Habibi wa Habibti (2010) shot in New York.

About Longing and Identity

While Ibrahim’s early work touched upon issues of sexuality, gender, and tradition across the Middle East, including in his native Yemen, his practice evolved as the war erupted in 2014 in Yemen and the notion of home became his narrative.

In The Laundromat Project in 2022, Ibrahim explored the questions of home and the implication of being disposed from home with ongoing interviews and conversations with individuals experiencing the effects of the travel ban and the ongoing war in homeland. We ask Ibrahim about the longing for homeland and how this singular emotion has guided many of his projects.

“Longing is a constant state of mind in my work. Be it longing for Yemen or other longing,” he says. But he does not feel helpless for he is constantly bringing focus to his land and its culture through his works. “I don’t like the feeling of helplessness. I lived in Yemen between 2018 to 2020 where I was heavily active in the cultural sphere through numerous visual art and literature projects that aimed to support emerging talent. It was my way to protest and to do my part in keeping the culture alive,” he says.

Art from the Region

Galleries and museums in the region are focused on art from the region and this has exponentially amplified work from Arab artists. Ibrahim feels this shift as he says, “I think I’d have more to say if I was asked about the Arab art scene a decade or more ago.”

“In 2024, the art scene in the Arab world is like anywhere else. All mediums are being explored, boundaries are being pushed, exhibitions, art fairs, biennials and more. Is there censorship? Yes, of course. Should that hinder us as artists? Absolutely not.”

But why should regionality be the focus for artists in this global world, why should it matter?

For Ibrahim, the context of his work varies. He says, “For me, much of the work I presented over the past decade was reflected in my identity and upbringing. This is changing now with my new body of work and it is not reflective of my background but rather my current state of mind.”

A Creative Yet Intimate Journey with Balmain

While Ibrahim says his state of mind directs his works, it is difficult to ignore the sense of longing for homeland in his works. Even when he was invited by Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of the luxury label Balmain, to give life to his 2022 collection, Ibrahim explored the meaning of home and belonging in each one of the 12 black and white series he produced.

The photo series entitled “My Friends in Balmain” captured his circle of New York friends – all with different histories, backgrounds, and origins. The group was asked to select their favourite designs from the latest Balmain collection and then photographed in the courtyard of the artist’s Brooklyn apartment

“I wanted to celebrate the Balmain pieces while creating something personal and intimate that reflected my own craft,” he says to another magazine. “I felt a sense of pride this time around, in exploring home through those stunning Balmain pieces and being able to bring my friends to the centre of the conversation. How often do you see an Iraqi, a Syrian and a Yemeni standing beautifully in those designs and being featured in such large platforms; in this case on Balmain’s platforms.”

He tells us, “The commission was an artist-based commission as the creative director has seen my work at the Institut du monde Arabe in Paris. I was given creative freedom in developing the body of work and the rest was history. I aimed for the outcome to reflect and remain close to my own practice so I made the focus on Arab identities, which was very much the essence of the particular collection I worked with. I really enjoyed it and I think about doing more collaborations like this in the future.”

All Images Courtesy Wusum Gallery