“Poetry of Abstraction” French Mirror of Soul by Chris Barley organised by Art4you Gallery

Dubai: Hundreds of exhibitions held across the UAE have provided a platform for new and established UAE artists, as well as inviting artists from other nations across the world to highlight their presence in the UAE. “Poetry of Abstraction – French Mirror of the Soul” is a solo art exhibition that goes beyond standard interpretations of abstraction. The show dived deeper and explored the various and compelling beauty of abstraction by French Abstract Expressionist – Chris Barley. The magnificent collection features a wide range of genres, from expressionism to abstract interpretations, that provoke deep thinking and spark curiosity. ARt4you Gallery was happy to feature a variety of artworks in this exhibition. Each one reflected the individual opinions and experiences of the artists who produced it. Artists have freely expressed themselves, exploring many subjects, styles, and materials, with no restrictions on their creativity. Each painting conveys a distinct tale through the use of colors, textures, and strokes, capturing moments of delight, melancholy, reflection, and calm. The exhibition encourages us to look beyond the surface, to enjoy the beauty of our shared harmony, and to recognize the power and perseverance that we all possess.

After having spent a large part of his life travelling the world, Chris Barley, a French artist concentrating on contemporary abstract painting, is now based in Dubai since 2001. Due to his nomadic past, he takes pleasure in evoking distant places, atmospheres and memories with his painting. ​He is dedicated to the expression of emotions and energies through colors, textures and movement. With a background of psychologist and the practice of martial arts, Chris explores the possibilities of painting as expression of the body and the mind; he uses abstraction as a way of communicating physically and emotionally, in an attempt to start resonating with people’s unconscious.  Exploring an unparalleled period in American art, this long-awaited exhibition reveals the full breadth of a movement that will forever be associated with the boundless creative energy of 1950s New York. He is also fascinated by the blending of colors and the fluidity and visual pleasure that come with observing the almost organic and natural flow of patterns. The love of nature would fuel his unique expressive visual painting style (often compared to Pollock’s painting) as well as his unique voice through his BOLD color palette using unexpected choices that organically combine giving the viewer an emotional connection often with memories.

The curator Ms. Jesno Jackson states, ” The goal of Chris’s artwork is to give the audience a visceral experience that transports them. His art is meant to emotionally carry the viewer to another location for a comparable experience that is distinct and distinctive for every viewer, just as his travels across the world have physically carried him to exotic foreign locations that have altered his perceptions. Self-taught, he creates sophisticated works that entice the eye with the intricacies of color and pattern using a variety of mediums, but mostly liquid acrylics and oils. His paintings are usually made up of several liquid acrylic layers that are blended together in different ways to give each one a distinct look. He has an innate eye for color combinations that seems to come directly from his subconscious mind, and gives each painting its own unique personality and presence with such visual depth that it must be experienced by the viewer.”

“I am an abstract artist whose work is intended to send the observer to a state of contemplation via the use of balance and color. Painting is an experience, and creating something visually rather than verbally is a big challenge! I like to employ a range of painting styles since I have so many ideas that they can’t all fit into one style. However, I believe that when my work is examined as a whole, my particular voice and style are extremely evident.” Says artist Chris Barley.

It’s also important to let our readers know where it is—Arabeska City Walk. Jesno Jackson, the curator of the show, designed and managed this modern gallery space with help from Arabeska. He also organized a few art events there. This year has been jam-packed with events, ranging from art talks to live performances and exhibitions. The management of Arabeska has gone above and beyond in helping to achieve the goal of using community outreach and awareness campaigns to promote tolerance and the value of incorporating art into everyday life.It has been made possible to see another successful art show by the history of ART4You Gallery, which offers highly professional events with a range of local and international artists. Chris Barley’s artwork has been up on Arabeska’s walls since November 9. Exhibition runs until Dec 6th all days 9am to 11pm.

For more information, email art4you.artgallery@gmail.com / www.art4yougallery.com