Untitled (2018) presents abstract forms arranged in repetitive patterns, forcing viewers to discern the shapes’ interrelations, variations and movements. Like many of Madi’s works, repetition works to energise the canvas. The arrangement of shapes into segments and rows is reminiscent of cuneiform writing, and though his composition lacks literal meaning, it adheres to underlying structure and rules like an alphabet.

Born in 1938 in Chebaa, Hussein Madi is a prolific Lebanese painter, sculptor and printmaker. Madi’s signature style is characterised by his fusion of hard geometric shapes and gentle curves, creating a world where contradictions coexist. While his sculptures are monochromatic, his paintings choreograph dissonant tones and hues side by side. He studied at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts in Beirut before moving to Rome in 1963 to continue his studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti. Settling there for 22 years, he learned various techniques from frescoes and mosaics to bronze sculpture. 

Madi has had more than sixty solo exhibitions around the world including at the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris; the British Museum, London; the Ueno Museum, Tokyo; and the Sharjah Museum, UAE, among others. The artist showcased his work at the Venice Biennale in 2003 and was awarded the Order of the Star by the Italian government during the same year.