On the occasion of Paris-based, Brussels-born Farah Atassi's solo show Mechanical Cabaret that just opened at Francois Ghebaly in LA, we dedicate today's A Portfolio to this spirited works from the past few years.
Characterized by vibrantly coloured geometric shapes and plays on perspective, Farah Atassi’s paintings create imaginary yet inhabited spaces that, by means of their visual trickery confusing depth and imminence, are impossible to fully grasp. The artist employs two main, methodological building blocks: a meticulous collection of images and a masking tape grid laid out in order to systematise the patterns produced within the abandoned interiors or scenes akin to still lifes she depicts. Situated on the fringes of narration, her paintings mix textile patterns and motley mosaics, referencing Modernism and Folk Art in equal measure. In the artist’s own words what we are dealing with are “figurative paintings that depict abstraction”. —Almine Rech Gallery
