Ahmed Alsoudani

Robert Goff Gallery, New York
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2010

This work is in very good condition There are eighteen tiny pinholes along all the four edges of the composition, all of which are inherent to the artists's original working process. The colours in the catalogue illustration are very accurate. The red pigment on the face is tending towards a warm salmon hue and the round circles tending more towards a rich crimson red.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Ahmed Alsoudani’s Untitled from 2009 is of one of the artist's most brilliantly executed works on paper to date. A writhing, contorted mass of human forms are caught in a ferocious struggle, literally tearing themselves apart in their fear and panic. This devastating destruction of a domestic scene is imbued with an immensely personal dimension when Alsoudani’s own complex background is taken into account: born in Baghdad in 1975, he fled to Syria at twenty after committing a youthful act of anti-government graffiti, harshly punishable by Saddam Hussein's repressive establishment. Although the artist has made his life in the West, his family remain in Iraq, ensuring that Alsoudani still feels a conflicted sense of personal ownership and belonging to the country of his birth.

"My work is concerned with how to bridge the huge gap represented by drawing and painting. I associate drawing with the internalized activities of making art and looking inward; painting represents the final presentation of these thoughts and interests. Drawings are sketches that in traditional art are hidden most of the time; painting is art’s public face. For me, both have a great deal to do with memory; both enable me to show the inner and the outer aspects of my memories.” Ahmed Alsoudani, 2011