Imagine PASSIONS | Four women painters display talent, preoccupation with eternal problems of existence. Ica Wahbeh went to an exhibition of their works at 4 Walls.

One composition and four directions

Vibrant, exuberant colours, like a garden in full bloom, and a very attractive placement of the works of art meet the visitor at 4 Walls where "One composition and four directions" brings together three Bahrainis and one Jordanian.

Any feeling of "just a light, bright, lively" exhibition one may be tempted to entertain at first sight will soon be replaced by serious, probing questions the viewer is forced to ask.

Dodi Tabbaa's acrylics on overlaid sheets of Plexiglas, an ingenious technique that gives depth to the overall composition, depict leaves, hearts, floral patterns, are lush and exotic. Are the works called "Perplexities" because they may have one guess whether it is a stylised jungle or the Garden of Eden, the beginning of life and human feelings? That mystification aside, the viewer will soon be presented with another in Tabbaa's "Whirlpool" series of superimposed circles: Are they idle doodling on a lazy summer day?

The bafflement does not last. The neat, clearly defined, decided brush strokes and bold colours tell of life, of never-ending cycles. Like a time tunnel, the circles draw you into some primeval age of early conception or propel you forward to present times, just as full of unknowns.

Purple, taupe, blue, black or green, the circles overlap, create infinite eddies and their own background, self sufficient and self regenerating. Like a multitude of expecting stylised figures, they seem to wish to say something, to ask questions; they jostle to come forward, take prominence.

The "Floating pods" paintings are equally mysterious. Ripe almost to bursting point, the "pods" invite the viewer to guess what they hold inside. It could be anything, from the obvious seeds to pregnant thoughts made tangible by the artist. The mind is free to explore, further invited to do that in Tabbaa's two bigger representations, "Light layer". Velvety greens of all shades, with a little blue here and there, the layers are abundant and mysterious, like a jungle track awaiting discovery.

Lobna Al Amin's thick layers of acrylic on canvas, with interesting patterns of wavy lines or raised dots for background, hint at or clearly depict the subject. Like the "Body", voluptuously curved, luxuriating in its nudity. In the "Green shadow", this is more clearly defined than the blurred outline of the body projecting it, in some sort of reversed perspective.

Generally grouped in threes, with coordinated colours, Amin's representations are bold, powerful, rich in texture and tantalise the spirit. Although given a name, they leave room for speculation. Is it the skeleton of an extinct animal on the bed of what was once a sea? Are these fish scales hinting at evolution or is it the artist's plain attempt at giving texture to the otherwise flat acrylic, at creating more movement than the one generated by the shapes and their arrangement?

The colours are strong, pulsating, magnetic; the mood is nostalgic, engendering an interesting attraction and juxtaposition.

Nabeela Al Khayer's earthen colours seem to deal with existentialist problems. Her masks attempt to put a face to life, death, existence. At times they are inspired by African mythology; even the borders in some of her paintings have ethnic patterns.

Forceful, dark, impressive, they transport the viewer to a mysterious world of dark rituals, primitive fears and, inevitably, touch on the fears of us all: Life and what it has in store for us, and the inevitable death.
As if to counter the gloomy side of existence, Khayer's clown masks are colourful and glittery, suggesting gaiety and carnival time, but as enigmatic as the African masks.

The "Fallen masks" stare blankly, dejected yet expressive in spite of the hollowed eye sockets. The "Woman and mask" and the "Mask of the peacock woman" belong more to the world of fairy tales, colourful, fantastic, magical.
The dream-like quality of Khayer's paintings is as appealing as the stories that enchanted our childhood, but the meanings are deeper, challenging the adult mind to decipher them.

Her "Incarnation" series of acrylic on wood, grouping charming wooden blocks painted on all sides, prolongs this immersion in the world of fairy tales. Whether enchanting portraits of beautiful women, or bird or animal representations, the details are exquisite, the colours attractive. The conspicuous text on the sides of these objets d'art is delicate and luminous, telling a different story from that of the works they decorate. Free standing, these figures (almost sculptures) can be admired from all sides. They are like children's books inviting to be opened and read, taking the viewer into a world of make believe, safe, colourful, beautiful.

Faika Al Hassan's mixed media on paper show a fascination for the woman and her body.

Adorned with beads and flowers, her woman can easily pass for a preening beauty ready to party or be admired. A closer look, however, might show her bound by the very same trimmings that are used to beautify her. A veil, at times, as mysterious as it may be, also seems to wrap her too tightly, enclose her in a suffocating world separate from the rest.

In a group of smaller paintings she probes deeper into the woman's body. Whether a fully developed baby or just foetuses in the womb, the representations are enveloped in uterus-shaped outlines, suggesting conception of the human being who will soon have to find his way out through a labyrinth of dotted pathways. Labour of birth, of creation, mystery of life and its tribulations.

The hanging "Clown" masks are an attempt at making light of life's troubles or maybe just laughing at its futility. But the twin foetuses in the womb of a larger painting refute such thoughts. They show that life is more powerful, prevails, will always be created, triumphing over limitations and death.

The clowns also provide a unifying motif and complete a circle of beautifully complementing works of art by such diverse artists with preoccupations that have concerned humanity since time immemorial.

The exhibition, at Sheraton-Al Nabil Hotel and Towers, will be on until March 22.