Aqiqah or aqeeqah, 2024
Anuar Khalifi
Living between Tangier and Barcelona, Anuar Khalifi’s paintings seek to pierce the hermetic field of western ‘history painting’. Presented in a neo-impressionist style his landscapes often contain figures who invoke the Sufi tradition alongside autobiographical elements, as well as key references from art history. Fusing contemporary and historical iconography, his paintings explore themes of identity, duality, diaspora, orientalism, colonialism, extremism, and consumerism, Khalifi focuses on the journey of the individual and encourages discussions around spirituality and mortality.
Khalifi's paintings demonstrate his understanding of both the stylistic elements and the socio-political spirit of neo-impressionism. Mixing fact and fiction to confront stereotypes, his works are at times ironic and humorous, evoking a childlike naivety as the artist dismantles the canon of orientalism. Khalifi highlights the persistent misrepresentation observed by those straddling more than one culture or place. Omnipresent within the state, media, and religion, Khalifi exposes how this warping of Eastern and Western iconography disrupts the human comprehension of reality. His unique blend of fictional characters posed against brand imagery creates an experience of a world that spans across realities, bridging visuals of the past with that of a globalised contemporary culture.
Anuar Khalifi's work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at Brunei Gallery SOAS, London, UK (2024); Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE (2023); MACAAL, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, Marrakesh, Morocco (2022); Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany (2022); The Third Line, Dubai, UAE (2022); Cromwell Place, London, UK (2021); Galerie Julien Cadet, Paris, France (2020); The Third Line, Dubai (2019); Galerie Shart, Casablanca, Morocco (2018); Plom gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2016); The Mothership, Barcelona, Spain (2015); Bank Al-Maghrib, Rabat, Morocco (2015); Yakin and Boaz Gallery, Casablanca, Morocco (2014); Galeria Mitte Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain (2012); Galerie Kandisha, Paris, France (2012); Biennale, Marrakech, Morocco (2012); Artingis, Tangier, Morocco (2011); Fast Food, Les Insolites, Tangier, Morocco (2011). His work can be found in the public collections of the Musée d'Art contemporain africain Al-Maaden, Marrakech, Morocco and Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE.
Aqiqah or aqeeqah, 2024
Anuar Khalifi
Living between Tangier and Barcelona, Anuar Khalifi’s paintings seek to pierce the hermetic field of western ‘history painting’. Presented in a neo-impressionist style his landscapes often contain figures who invoke the Sufi tradition alongside autobiographical elements, as well as key references from art history. Fusing contemporary and historical iconography, his paintings explore themes of identity, duality, diaspora, orientalism, colonialism, extremism, and consumerism, Khalifi focuses on the journey of the individual and encourages discussions around spirituality and mortality.
Khalifi's paintings demonstrate his understanding of both the stylistic elements and the socio-political spirit of neo-impressionism. Mixing fact and fiction to confront stereotypes, his works are at times ironic and humorous, evoking a childlike naivety as the artist dismantles the canon of orientalism. Khalifi highlights the persistent misrepresentation observed by those straddling more than one culture or place. Omnipresent within the state, media, and religion, Khalifi exposes how this warping of Eastern and Western iconography disrupts the human comprehension of reality. His unique blend of fictional characters posed against brand imagery creates an experience of a world that spans across realities, bridging visuals of the past with that of a globalised contemporary culture.
Anuar Khalifi's work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at Brunei Gallery SOAS, London, UK (2024); Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE (2023); MACAAL, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, Marrakesh, Morocco (2022); Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany (2022); The Third Line, Dubai, UAE (2022); Cromwell Place, London, UK (2021); Galerie Julien Cadet, Paris, France (2020); The Third Line, Dubai (2019); Galerie Shart, Casablanca, Morocco (2018); Plom gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2016); The Mothership, Barcelona, Spain (2015); Bank Al-Maghrib, Rabat, Morocco (2015); Yakin and Boaz Gallery, Casablanca, Morocco (2014); Galeria Mitte Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain (2012); Galerie Kandisha, Paris, France (2012); Biennale, Marrakech, Morocco (2012); Artingis, Tangier, Morocco (2011); Fast Food, Les Insolites, Tangier, Morocco (2011). His work can be found in the public collections of the Musée d'Art contemporain africain Al-Maaden, Marrakech, Morocco and Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE.
Aqiqah or aqeeqah, 2024
Anuar Khalifi
Living between Tangier and Barcelona, Anuar Khalifi’s paintings seek to pierce the hermetic field of western ‘history painting’. Presented in a neo-impressionist style his landscapes often contain figures who invoke the Sufi tradition alongside autobiographical elements, as well as key references from art history. Fusing contemporary and historical iconography, his paintings explore themes of identity, duality, diaspora, orientalism, colonialism, extremism, and consumerism, Khalifi focuses on the journey of the individual and encourages discussions around spirituality and mortality.
Khalifi's paintings demonstrate his understanding of both the stylistic elements and the socio-political spirit of neo-impressionism. Mixing fact and fiction to confront stereotypes, his works are at times ironic and humorous, evoking a childlike naivety as the artist dismantles the canon of orientalism. Khalifi highlights the persistent misrepresentation observed by those straddling more than one culture or place. Omnipresent within the state, media, and religion, Khalifi exposes how this warping of Eastern and Western iconography disrupts the human comprehension of reality. His unique blend of fictional characters posed against brand imagery creates an experience of a world that spans across realities, bridging visuals of the past with that of a globalised contemporary culture.
Anuar Khalifi's work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at Brunei Gallery SOAS, London, UK (2024); Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE (2023); MACAAL, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, Marrakesh, Morocco (2022); Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany (2022); The Third Line, Dubai, UAE (2022); Cromwell Place, London, UK (2021); Galerie Julien Cadet, Paris, France (2020); The Third Line, Dubai (2019); Galerie Shart, Casablanca, Morocco (2018); Plom gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2016); The Mothership, Barcelona, Spain (2015); Bank Al-Maghrib, Rabat, Morocco (2015); Yakin and Boaz Gallery, Casablanca, Morocco (2014); Galeria Mitte Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain (2012); Galerie Kandisha, Paris, France (2012); Biennale, Marrakech, Morocco (2012); Artingis, Tangier, Morocco (2011); Fast Food, Les Insolites, Tangier, Morocco (2011). His work can be found in the public collections of the Musée d'Art contemporain africain Al-Maaden, Marrakech, Morocco and Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE.
Aqiqah or aqeeqah, 2024
Anuar Khalifi
Living between Tangier and Barcelona, Anuar Khalifi’s paintings seek to pierce the hermetic field of western ‘history painting’. Presented in a neo-impressionist style his landscapes often contain figures who invoke the Sufi tradition alongside autobiographical elements, as well as key references from art history. Fusing contemporary and historical iconography, his paintings explore themes of identity, duality, diaspora, orientalism, colonialism, extremism, and consumerism, Khalifi focuses on the journey of the individual and encourages discussions around spirituality and mortality.
Khalifi's paintings demonstrate his understanding of both the stylistic elements and the socio-political spirit of neo-impressionism. Mixing fact and fiction to confront stereotypes, his works are at times ironic and humorous, evoking a childlike naivety as the artist dismantles the canon of orientalism. Khalifi highlights the persistent misrepresentation observed by those straddling more than one culture or place. Omnipresent within the state, media, and religion, Khalifi exposes how this warping of Eastern and Western iconography disrupts the human comprehension of reality. His unique blend of fictional characters posed against brand imagery creates an experience of a world that spans across realities, bridging visuals of the past with that of a globalised contemporary culture.
Anuar Khalifi's work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at Brunei Gallery SOAS, London, UK (2024); Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE (2023); MACAAL, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, Marrakesh, Morocco (2022); Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany (2022); The Third Line, Dubai, UAE (2022); Cromwell Place, London, UK (2021); Galerie Julien Cadet, Paris, France (2020); The Third Line, Dubai (2019); Galerie Shart, Casablanca, Morocco (2018); Plom gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2016); The Mothership, Barcelona, Spain (2015); Bank Al-Maghrib, Rabat, Morocco (2015); Yakin and Boaz Gallery, Casablanca, Morocco (2014); Galeria Mitte Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain (2012); Galerie Kandisha, Paris, France (2012); Biennale, Marrakech, Morocco (2012); Artingis, Tangier, Morocco (2011); Fast Food, Les Insolites, Tangier, Morocco (2011). His work can be found in the public collections of the Musée d'Art contemporain africain Al-Maaden, Marrakech, Morocco and Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE.