Henry Jabbour

Friedrichs Pontone is proud to present a solo exhibition of works by distinguished artist, Henry Jabbour. The exhibition features a selection of Jabbour's latest abstract paintings, in which Jabbour synthesizes the visual languages of abstraction and figuration. Through his art, Jabbour offers a glimpse into the transformative power of painting, as he invites us to immerse ourselves in a world of luminous color, intricate texture, and expressive gesture.

Born in Lebanon in 1961, Jabbour moved to the UK in the 1980s to pursue his passion for painting. Since then, he has exhibited his work in galleries and museums around the world, and has become known for his evocative and poetic approach to painting.

Jabbour's distinctive, almost Neo-Expressionist style, draws on the vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes of the movement, while imbuing them with a deeply personal and idiosyncratic sensibility. Through his paintings, Jabbour entreats the viewer to enter into a cacophony of emotion and sensation that transcends the boundaries of language and culture.

At the heart of Jabbour's oeuvre lies his exploration of the complexities of human identity, particularly as they pertain to issues of cultural heritage, social belonging, and personal transformation. Digging into his own personal history, Jabbour creates powerful images that evoke the joys and struggles of a life lived between different worlds. Working with a dynamic range of color, line, and form, Jabbour's paintings demonstrate an expressive approach to abstraction that is imbued with a sense of gestural immediacy. Through his skillful layering of pigment, Jabbour explores the interplay of color and light, creating a visual texture that is both luminous and tactile, dynamic and meditative.

The works in this collection reveal Jabbour's remarkable versatility and his ability to use the language of abstract expressionism to explore a range of themes and motifs. Each painting offers a powerful expression of the human condition and the complexity of the world we inhabit and demonstrates Jabbour's remarkable ability to create works that are both deeply personal and universally resonant. Some paintings feature dynamic swirls of color, with the artist's brushwork capturing the tension and flux of identity formation. Others are more restrained, featuring haunting, stylized figures that speak to Jabbour's deep interest in the intersection of myth, memory, and identity. Taken together, the works in this exhibition demonstrate Jabbour's enduring relevance as a voice in contemporary art.