Joy

Joy is an exemplary demonstration of Saudi artist Abdulhalim Radwi’s (1939-2006) personal philosophy on abstraction in art. In the late 1970s to the early 1980s, Radwi began moving away from the European art styles found in his earlier works. Instead, he embraced a unique blend of culture and spirituality, an approach he went on to refine throughout his expansive career.

He created this artwork in 2001, while working as an artist in residence in Madinat Khalifa, a private residency programme founded by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani. Vivid colours characterise this piece. These colours flow through the dancing figures and abstract shapes, echoing patterns often found in textiles from the Gulf.

Radwi also repeats the Arabic letter “س” (‘S’ in English), throughout the artwork. This letter refers to Salam (سلام), the Arabic word for peace, reflecting Radwi’s belief in the deep value of peace in human life.