Abu Dhabi Art | 1982: Khaled Ben Slimane In Japan: 2025
This year at Abu Dhabi Art, Elmarsa Gallery presents selected works by artist Khaled Ben Slimane, examining pieces made during his first residency with the Idemitsu Museum, in Tokyo, Japan in 1982, a seminal period in the artist's career. The presentation will also include a selection of works made by Khaled in 2004, during his second residency in Japan with the Seto Ceramics and Glass Center. This selection captures Ben Slimane’s dedication to ‘the absolute’, a path where his unique approach to bridging heritage with spirituality becomes epitome, reminding us of the wisdom that illuminates the deep spiritual essence uniting human beings across cultures and origins.
Inspired by early to mid-twentieth century manuscripts stowed away in cupboards and wardrobes of family homes, Khaled deconstructed a symbolism and language that began to walk towards the obsolete. Motifs in the form of signatures adorning the pages of marriage contracts, divorces, purchases and sales that his paternal grandfather would write for the community. Khaled was influenced by the workings of scribes, building familiarity with the tradition of Arab-Islamic art and the decorative arts of raqsh and arabesque. Clay stoves also inhabited the rooms where women tended to fires, sometimes using shreds of decaying manuscripts to power the embers; with these experiences in tow, Khaled began to write his paintings and ceramics works.
Dedicating his practice to the pursuit of the absolute, Ben Slimane's work embodies a spiritual essence that begins to echo the words of Ibn-Al Arabi ‘I profess the religion of love wherever its caravan turns; love is my religion and my faith.’