The Intimacy of Solid

Written by Yusiph Elias  -     2003

When we trace Canaan’s artistic autobiography over the last decade, we can see that he was and still an extremely productive artist, particularly in sculpture, the medium that defines his artistic world.

The artist doesn’t work with traditional, classical sculpture; he pushes himself further by using his mental and physical energy to construct creative sculptures and forms with other materials that include metal and wood. Through his art, Canaan transports the spectators to another world, sometimes related to ancient cultures such as the Canssinites, or to modern and ancient Arabian folklore.

Ahmad Canaan doesn’t popularize and commercialize folklore for selfish, shallow purposes but rather uses it as a vehicle for expression and examination by planting an original idea within it. He creates works of art that carry folkloric symbols. This approach attests to the fact that Canaan has matured as an artist and is perfecting up his techniques, which is why he can create his art in a singular, personal style.

Canaan has integrated weaving into his work. Weaving is typically done through the use of threads and textile, but Canaan chooses to use metal as his medium. He shapes the metal with unparalleled mastery in order to produce a dignified work of art that expresses both his ideas and his artistic ability.

Canaan’s work is capable of charging the observer with an energy absent of both place and time. When seeing one of his works for a second time in a different place, you’ll probably feel like you’re meeting an old, dear friend that forgot to mention something about himself the first time you met. And it is here that the real power of his work emerges. His art has become a part of the society’s identity, strengthening the bond between society and art. This relationship mutually supports the artist and his work, developing the two sides of the whole, and further developing new, exciting artistic works.

Ahmad Canaan is known as a thoroughly versatile and universal artist. He treats art with a transparency that can be seen in his unusual ability to toss out a subject and treat it in an artistic way. This translates into Canaan being able to insert artistic elements to serve the idea he attempts to deliver to his audience.

Emphasizing very simple subjects that take us back to a world filled with characters and events taken from his own world and others, these worlds left nothing in our memory but fragments of images.

His work is dominated by the two colors blue and turquoise, both of which carry deep psychological dimensions and create a sensuous impact, being present in both Islamic art and Arabian folklore. Canaan treats these colors in a charming, abstract manner which gives spectators the opportunity to dive into something deeper than color. He combines the colors harmoniously in a symphony that enables its listeners to ascend to an imaginary world, while giving his painting eternal life through the use of convincing techniques.

 Environmental sculpturing is another type of art, which Canaan treats carefully. It not only carries a solid, artificial meaning but also possesses a bond between place, time and man. This kind of unity reveals that the artist is aware of taking both art and his surroundings and bringing them together.

Canaan’s latest work in this field is a collection called “Asmak,” or Fish. He has shaped it in a variety of ways by disjointing the forms and reconstructing them. This artistic insight shows the keen awareness of the artist and his ability to combine space and matter in a single work. Despite the fact that the parts are disjointed, they remain united to each other and to the spectator.