GEORGE TOWN, May 26 — Every relationship starts with the first meeting when a tremulous bond is formed, drawing both parties together.
The first spark between a couple, often described poetically as “love at first sight”, was described as Attraction by sculptor Aboud Fares who chose to depict it in a sleek sculpture of polyester and wood.
Attraction is a circle of black fluid ripples — almost like a thick, viscous ectoplasm — that linked two serene-looking faces together.
What follows the Attraction is the moment of bonding between the two and this time, a thick, viscous connection is pulling the outward facing sleek masks together.
The whole cycle of a relationship then followed, the getting together, the confrontations, the conversations, the challenges and contrasting personalities, the arguments and the resolutions, and finally, a rip that tore the relationship beyond repair and they were left in pieces before they moved on.
The sculptures, all in black and white, were abstract faces pulled in different directions at every phase of the relationship, always with the ever-present fluid ripples and a sleek, smooth sheen to it.
“These sculptures are a reflection of a personal experience and each piece represents a powerful moment in the course of a relationship in my experience,” said Aboud.
The Penang-based artist is holding his first solo exhibition, titled “Echoes”, in Petaling Jaya, which opens tomorrow.
“I am excited to show my sculptures in Petaling Jaya in a solo exhibition for the first time and to widen my base of supporters,” he said.
This is also the first collection of sculptures that Aboud had titled, from Attraction to the final piece The Move, as traditionally, the sculptor has always named his sculptures as Untitled to leave the interpretation of his works to the audience.
“This collection is different, it describes the different stages of a relationship based on my experience, so I named each piece to guide the audience through the stages,” he said.
The curator of the exhibition, Ivan Gabriel, said the sculptures intersect both the abstract and figurative to capture human emotions and experiences that are both powerful and thought-provoking.
A total 28 sculptures will be displayed at the exhibition at the Artas Galeri at The Strand, Kota Damansara in Petaling Jaya until June 18.
