Faces

Much like his sculptural work, Ismail Fattah’s paintings reflected his belief in simplification. He aimed to peel back the layers of his subjects to reveal the cores of their existence. “Faces” is a work on paper created around the time the artist moved to Qatar. His signature in the bottom left corner suggests he made the piece in the presence of Shiekh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani, revealing the close friendship that have developed between the two artists during the residency program established by Al Thani.

The artwork features nine individual faces arranged loosely inside a hand-drawn grid. Fattah uses abstract figuration to guide the viewer's attention to each face. Their simple, minimal features, something Fattah often preferred, create a sense of mystery and emotional depth.