Meem Gallery is holding The Rare But Known Phenomenon, a solo exhibition by Syrian-American artist Zhivago Duncan that presents the collection of his latest paintings defined by gentle, muted tones. The show welcomes all visitors until the 25th of May, 2024.
In the artist’s opinion, in today’s world, we should recognise the interconnectedness of humanity as a collective entity — part of a greater whole. Yet, our minds often stray from this awareness, so we need a deliberate return to a state of mindfulness and unity with our surroundings. That is why Duncan refuses to pursue profound existential truths and chooses to celebrate beauty in simplicity instead.
Stripping away layers of meaning from his paintings, the artist seeks to show that even the most ordinary elements of our lives are beautiful when viewed through the lens of mindful awareness. Within the exhibited series of art pieces, he aims to distil the complex ideas and images into a meditative practice reflecting the natural cycles typically devoid of philosophical interpretation. These paintings invite viewers to clear their minds of clutter and focus on the present moment.
About the artist
Zhivago Duncan (b. 1980, Indiana, USA) is a multidisciplinary artist who divides his time between Los Angeles (USA) and Mexico City and whose practice deploys painting, sculpture, dioramas, installation, printmaking, photography, and performance art. In 2007, he graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design (London, UK) with a BFA in Painting.
In his works, the artist explores the relationships between human consciousness and notions of reality constructed through culture. He combines elements of ancient myths with modern subjects (physics, metaphysics, astronomy, AI, and contemporary philosophy). This results in a distinctive mythological cosmos he expresses through a hieroglyphic language and iconography symbolising elements of consciousness and emotional states.
Duncan has displayed his art pieces in several solo shows: Mapping Out Unification (Collector, Monterrey, Mexico, 2023); Measuring Consciousness (Cult Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, San Francisco California, USA, 2022); SOULMATE/CELLMATE (Galleria Poggiali, Milan, Italy, 2019); and As the Jungle Weeps (JAMM, Dubai, 2014), to name a few. The artist’s work has appeared in many group exhibitions, which include Para Empezar (80M2 Livia Benavides, Lima, Peru, 2020), Ngorongoro II (Artist Weekend, Berlin, Germany, 2018); Animal, Man, Machine (Verbeke Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium, 2017), and Contemporary Art Exhibition of European Artists (Qingdao Sculpture Art Museum, Qingdao, China, 2015), among others.
Duncan’s creations are part of such esteemed public collections as Thomas Olbricht Collection (Berlin), Perez Art Museum (Miami, USA), Saatchi Gallery (London), and Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah).
To get more information about The Rare But Known Phenomenon, please visit the exhibition’s official web page.
You might also be interested in attending Bottle Neck by Moataz Nasr.
