“SuperPlasticizer” Vincent Abadie Hafez aka Zepha at Dubai’s The Mine

Over the years French artist Vincent Abadie Hafez aka Zepha practice has expanded from its urban beginnings to the gallery wall, but responsiveness to the built environment, borne of a deep study of each locale, remains central. For this new body of paintings, the artist uses a superplasticizer mixed with cement, rubble, and sand from the streets of Dubai—the raw materials of the city—to create texturally rich canvases. The surfaces are then worked over in his characteristic caligraffiti style which he originated in the 1990’s. Borne out of his twinned interests in Arabic calligraphy and street art, its inherent ephemerality is acutely suited to a city defined by its transience. Brush strokes are supplanted with marks made by scrap woods from nearby construction sites, which are then further repurposed into a sculptural bas-relief triptych.

Zepha has recently spent some time in the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai Street Museum project organized by Brand Dubai and curated by Rom Levy and Sanaz Askari.

Bringing his unique Street Art to Dubai, Zepha spent a few days up high on his swing stage geared with his brushes and paint. The end-result is beautiful and is now the largest piece in the UAE. Showcasing his unique calligraphy, the piece has a unique feeling reminding some viewers of the “Matrix” series. The mural is located and can be seen on Satwa Roundabout in Old Dubai.

This Monday, December 19th, the artist opens next week his new solo exhibition entitled “SuperPlasticizer” at The Mine Gallery in Al Quoz, Dubai. He will unveil a new body of work featuring some of his signature calligraphy based imagery.

Source: streetartnews.net