HOW DO WE REPATRIATE OURSELVES IN THE FUTURE?
Zak Ové’s “doily” paintings are beautifully rendered canvases made from bespoke lace dollies created by Syrian refugees—adding a touch of the Middle East and references to the displacement and migration in the region. These paintings were debuted in Lawrence Shabibi Gallery in Dubai as part of the artist’s first solo show in the region.
With their vibrant patterns, these paintings pay homage to the Trinidadian carnival. The two largest works in the series—Heaven and Earth—endow structure to their colourful explosion through geometric lines and forms. These works too refer to the carnival culture and are nostalgic essays for the artist—ways to rekindle the past with the present.
ABOUT ZAK OVE
Zak Ové is a British visual artist who works with the mediums of sculpture, film and photography, living between London and Trinidad. His themes reflect "his documentation of and anthropological interest in diasporic and African history, specifically that which is explored through Trinidadian carnival."