For Tomm ElSaieh a

For Tomm El-Saieh, an artist of Haitian, Palestinian, and Israeli descent, abstract painting is a universal language everyone can connect with. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Melding strategies of Modernist abstraction with subtle echoes of the rich color and interlacing patterns, @TommElSaieh’s paintings reflect both his cultural heritage and an understanding of how Haitian figurative art is often embedded with references to Haitian history and the lore of voodoo spirits. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Interested in abstraction from a yound age – despite it seeming counter to Haitian traditions – his work on view during Art Basel Miami Beach at @CentralFine gallery – recall ‘all over’ Abstract Expressionist compositions by Jackson Pollock, while also bringing to mind the pioneering ideas of Hans Hofmann and Josef Albers. Paintings by Hofmann and Albers illustrate how various colors and shapes, depending on their placement, can appear to advance or recede in space. ‘You can use saturation and non-saturation [of color] for push and pull, also the blurriness and sharpness,’ El-Saieh said, referring to Hofmann’s term to describe optical illusions of movement forward and backward in space that can animate a flat canvas. — Tomm El-Saieh, ‘Song and Dance’, 2018. Acrylic on Canvas, 96 x 72 inches, (Private collection). Photo by Armando Vaquer, courtesy of CENTRAL FINE. #artbasel #artbaselmiamibeach #tommelsaieh #artsoninstagram #artworkoftheday #abstractart #abstractpainting #jacksonpollock #josefalbers #voodoo