Spanish-Moroccan painter presents his second solo exhibition at The Third Line gallery, from 6 April to 19 May. The event is entitled "Mirror Ball", taking the name of the only sculpture on show, which invites the visitor to an introspective journey of self-discovery and the quest for identity.
Anuar Khalifi is now known for his "fast art" paintings, which feature Marvel superhero-like characters and young adults who wish to remain forever in the recklessness of their adolescence. However, the young artist also deconstructs classical Spanish painting by introducing his own motifs, and his bright colours.
"I think Anuar is definitely renewing the genre of portraiture. Normally, the protagonists in the paintings of the old masters were white men in positions of power or victory. In Anuar's paintings, the protagonist is usually a young boy of African or Arab descent who appears in a more reflective and curious contemplation." - Sunny Rahbar, director of Third Line Gallery.
The exhibition brings together characters whose identity is torn between modernity and tradition, exploring themes of colonisation, collective memory and societal norms.
"The most important things remain invisible. You always have to remember where you come from and be connected to the present. The future is uncertain." - Anuar Khalifi for Diptyk magazine.
Photo: Anuar Khalifi, "Mirror Ball", 2022.