| A Syrian artist and architect, Mohamad Hafez was born in Damascus, raised in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and educated in the Midwestern United States. Expressing the juxtaposition of East and West within him, Hafez's art reflects the political turmoil in the Middle East through the compilation of found objects, paint, and scrap metal. Using his architectural skills, Hafez creates surrealistic Middle Eastern streetscapes that are architectural in their appearance yet politically charged in their content. Hafez's work reflects his deep interest in the cross-disciplinary exploration of street art and the realistic, yet ironic sculptural work. He purposefully infuses a stark contrast between the scenes he creates and messages imbued in his work. Messages could be verses from the holy Qur'an, audio recordings from his homeland, or other elements of Islamic heritage reflected in the architectural typography.
This exhibition at the Harold J Miossi Art Gallery at Cuesta College spans twenty years of Hafez's work and practice. It is the first retrospective of his career and his debut exhibition in California. |
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