The NCA is proud to present a solo exhibition by Abdullah Qureshi. Known for his spontaneous and gestural practice, Qureshi is interested in the history of painting, in particular abstract expressionism, and the liminal space between abstraction and representation. Simultaneously, the use of personal history, childhood memories, and traumatic pasts in a non-linear format have emerged as key concerns for him. Consolidating these parallel enquiries, more recently Qureshi’s work has taken the form of a painted visual diary.
In ‘The Story of Myself and Some Friends in these Fragments of Daily Loves’, a title borrowed from the Mexican writer Ernesto Banuelos Enriquez, Qureshi focuses on portraits of men, through which he explores ideas of masculinity, intimacy and desire. The images, which evoke vulnerability and raw emotion, can be seen as a radical shift within Qureshi’s oeuvre, signaling his maturing awareness of the self, that manifests in stark political and visceral ways. We are pleased to showcase this new body of work, which imbibes the spirit of our esteemed institution.