A bold red line cuts through the largest painting in Juma Al Haj’s new exhibition at Iris Projects. Underneath are the abstract, calligraphic strokes that have become characteristic of his work. The strokes are methodically applied, amassing as steady rivulets of white. The part above the red line, however, is unlike anything the Emirati artist has done before.
Long black bars criss-cross against a storm of wiry scrawls. Dissimilar to previous works, where Al Haj meticulously keeps his forms contained within themselves, this disorder of black paint drips down the canvas, running past the red line and into the white.
The painting, like all the other works in the exhibition, has been created in the months since the Iranian missle attacks on the UAE began. Titled Black Cloud, Red Line, it is easy to see the work as a reflection of recent geopolitical anxieties. It can be interpreted literally, with the red line acting as a skyline – turmoil above and daily life carrying on below.
Juma Al Haj's solo show Interoception is on display at Iris Projects in Abu Dhabi until August 6
