Tariku Shiferaw - showing the depth of geometric abstraction
Tariku Shiferaw - showing the depth of geometric abstraction
Revealing the self-presence through mark-making
Challenging, exploring, and indicating presence! Tariku Shiferaw strives to break the conventional ideas of painting and therefore make a mark in the existing society. The art, the act, and the form of thinking are all of political nature, an investigation of history, space, and structure.
By using the formal language of geometric abstraction to ‘mark the surface’, he conveys a new meaning onto the metaphysical space of painting. Geometric forms have had a variety of definitions and uses throughout history, edging into every religion, culture, and society. It is a shape adaptable to any form of existence. Tariku Shiferaw gives and assigns them a new meaning, marking oneself into the history and reclaiming space as an existing entity.
His art is an action, a way to investigate and oppose reality. “A mark, as physical and present as cave-markings, which says, “I am here” or “I was here”. It reveals the thinker behind the gesture - an evidence of prior markings of ideas and self onto the space.”
His recent series ‘One of These Black Boys’ explores the musical genres that have originated in Black Communities such as R&B, Blues, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae. By using horizontal gestures, dense layers of paint, and material, he strives to capture the pain and struggle presented through music.
It is a reference to the mid-century abstraction, enriched with the critical observation that leaves an unforgettable mark.
Tariku Shiferaw currently lives and works in New York City. To be up to date with upcoming solo and group exhibitions visit HOME | Tariku Shiferaw. Explore the marks, and find the meaning!
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