The mainstay of Suleman’s artistry explores a series of dichotomies that point to the fragile and fleeting ephemerality of life. By juxtaposing her intricate – initially pastoralized scenes as rendered in the filigree tradition of Islamic art – against the hard, formidable qualities of the stainless-steel medium, Suleman’s sculpture is reminiscent of the precarious nature of the human condition inherent in the flux of societies.
Selected Works
Overview
I Don't Want to be There When it Happens, 2013-2017
hand-beaten stainless steel, iron and bulb
variable
After All It's Always Somebody Else Who Dies, 2018
steel with 22k gold plating
124.5 x 213.4 cm
Strike of a Believer III, 2019
hand-beaten repousse work on steel with polish and lacquer
175 x 137 cm (overall)
Something That Had Been, 2017
carved wooden frame layered with gold leaf, wood staining, vintage ceramic plate with enamel paint and lacquer
86.5 x 83.5 x 6.5 cm
Sinking in the past, 2019
found vintage ceramic plate with enamel paint and top coat with lacquer
13.75 x 11.5 cm
Land Slicing II, 2019
metal swords with enamel paint and lacquer
15 x 60 cm (each), 3 pieces in total
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About
Adeela Suleman
Biography
The mainstay of Suleman’s artistry explores a series of dichotomies that point to the fragile and fleeting ephemerality of life. By juxtaposing her intricate – initially pastoralized scenes as rendered in the filigree tradition of Islamic art – against the hard, formidable qualities of the stainless-steel medium, Suleman’s sculpture is reminiscent of the precarious nature of the human condition inherent in the flux of societies.
The recurring motifs in Suleman’s work—organic subjects such as birds and flowers—form detailed, repetitive patterns, which are replete with symbolic meaning. Abstracted notions of loss and disappearance quietly resonate through her sculptures. In lieu of tombs, memorials and funerals, the works confront our earthly fears, but remain suggestive of transcendental relief. They may be seen simultaneously as symbolic representations of the coexistence between love of nature and the chaos of man, in addition to the fragmented documentaries referencing recent violent and catastrophic occurrences within the artist’s sociopolitical landscape.
Suleman’s major solo exhibitions include Armory Art Fair (Aicon Contemporary, New York, 2021), Dubai Art Fair (Canvas Gallery, Dubai, 2020) and Ashes to Ashes (Sullivan+Strumpf, Singapore, 2019), while her major group exhibitions include Embodied Change: South Asian Art Across Time (Seattle Asian Art Museum, Seattle, 2022), Media Art in Focus - Part Ⅲ (Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, 2022) and the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (Brisbane, 2021-22).
Sullivan+Strumpf acknowledge the Indigenous People of this land, the traditional custodians on whose Country we work, live and learn. We pay respect to Elders, past and present, and recognise their continued connection to culture, land, waters and community.