Ali Zakeri b. 1959
The Eliminate Or The Sons Of God Series 25, 2017
Acrylic on canvas
180 x 200 cm
70 7/8 x 78 3/4 in
70 7/8 x 78 3/4 in
The broad, semi-flat black background of the painting, the man who is standing facing the body of the opponent, with his back to us, in a position suggestive of the...
The broad, semi-flat black background of the painting, the man who is standing facing the body of the opponent, with his back to us, in a position suggestive of the end of the fight, and closer to him, a knocked-out body lying on the ground, all give an impression beyond the sport of boxing, with a state of suspense and timelessness. The whole event is reduced to a small section, in a space empty of spectators or oven barely similar to any boxing arenas, suspended, becoming part of the vacuum. In painting his male figures, Ali Zakeri is not really after showing us random details, rather with the use of stains and almost expansive color fields in proportion to the frame, he works from an expressive position close to the approaches by German expressionists. He draws up all his focus on the ongoing tension between the figures, and this tension itself becomes part of a space studying which would make his work appear more emotional and more humane. He thus shows us the naked reality of life: where one must fight constantly!