POINT OF DEPARTURE
WORKS BY RIZVAN RAHMAN TO BE EXHIBITED IN MAYFAIR
For the past four years, the controversial figurative artist Rizvan Rahman has been building up an impressive body of work, and this week sees the launch of his first solo exhibition.
The exhibition, Point of Departure, will attract the serious attention of London’s art world. In October 2011, Rahman was convicted of dealing forged art works by post-war modern artists. He served a short prison sentence and since his release in 2012, Rahman has devoted his energies to creating a strong and impressive body of figurative painting.
Rahman’s interest in art is primarily focused on the work of the great Masters. Artists such as Rembrandt, Velasquez and Van Dyck have had a profound influence upon his own work and his practice can be seen as a continuation of the long tradition of human representation that exists within Western European art.
The exhibition may be viewed as a study of anatomy and flesh, featuring 22 large-scale female nudes and portraits, many of which are larger than life size. It is in these paintings that Rahman has been able to demonstrate his aptitude for direct observation and scrutiny of his subject matter.
Working with unsparing honesty and relentless analysis of his subject, Rahman has produced paintings that are both deeply absorbing and powerful. These striking paintings are a remarkable new find and one that will undoubtedly enrich the vast canon of European figurative painting.
Speaking about the exhibition, Rahman said: “This body of work has arrived through my obsession with painting. Even during my time in prison, it was the only thing I could think about – returning to my family and getting back in the studio to paint. Four years worth of work are being exhibited for the first time and I must now let the work stand up and speak for itself.”
Point of Departure runs from 4th February – 17thFebruary 2016 at 18 Hertford Street, Mayfair, London.
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