Altman Siegel is thrilled to present an exhibition of new paintings by HibaKalache. This suite of paintings finds its origins in the Kalīla wa-Dimna, a bookof fables dating back to the 13th century. Though the text was first composedin Sanskrit, titled The Panchatantra, in the year 200 B.C., it has been translatednumerous times throughout the millennia. From Sanskrit to Persian, fromPersian to Arabic, and more. Here, Kalache has translated the ancient text andillustrations yet again, through the act of painting.

These folk stories engage universal human themes with animal protagonists andnarrators. Each story contains ancient wisdom and powerful political subtextsthat remain relevant today. The strength of storytelling has been used over thecenturies as both entertainment and propaganda, often to support those withpower. Masked in childlike playfulness, these tales are as sly as the two jackalsthat romp within their pages. In these tales, the Lion is always the leader, alwaysfeared, and always obeyed. The enduring power of these associations can betraced up until and through the present moment. Bashar al-Assad’s chosenname, for instance, translates to Lion in Arabic.

Channeling the frenetic energy within these stories, Kalache breaks awayfrom her allegorical source material in pursuit of abstraction. These works areuncompromising in their anguished search for the inexplicable. For Kalache,the painterly process grounds the body in the present moment and also propelsravenous curiosity.

These compositions often begin on a horizontal plane. They are sprayed withwater, and like seeds in a garden they grow. A layer of ink is laid down, then oil,and then in a subversive act, more water and ink. The resulting interaction ofoil and water mirror the friction and tension these compositions provoke. Frommind to body, and from hand to thought, Kalache’s tireless approach is rootedin inherited movements. The traditions of cooking, crocheting, and other handcrafts were passed down to Kalache through her female relatives. Decades laterthose same gestures burst forth, with uncontrollable force onto the canvas.

Kalache’s primary focus in the studio is the pursuit of creating fearless,unrestricted, muscular works. Vibrant and intense in color, these pieces are partof a continuous whole, a ceaseless, breathless marathon of painting with the finaloutcomes serving as a pure conduit for Kalache’s uninhibited spirit.

For more information please contact Altman Siegel at [email protected] or 415-576-9300.

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