Hasani Sahlehe

Artist Hasani Sahlehe makes tactile and brightly-hued abstract paintings that foreground the physicality of the painted surface in order to explore the phenomenological impact of color and shape and the nuances of human perception. His large-scale canvases are immersive, not unlike the ineffable sensation of listening to music – a major conceptual touchstone for his practice as well as a key component of his production process. In the studio, Sahlehe channels the emotive quality of music, synesthetically constructing a painted space from the experience of sound. He also pursues the enigmatic work of giving form to memories and feelings – exploring a composition’s potential for communicating otherwise formless ideas and sensations.

In his recent work, Sahlehe applies color to raw canvas using two distinct methods of application. Thick and pourable acrylic gel sits on top of the painting surface like a glossy coating, while paint added with an airbrush penetrates the canvas for a softer effect. Sahlehe exploits the enticing tension between these textures. “I consider how paint functions in myriad material states,” he has explained. Fascinated by the mutability of paint as a medium, Sahlehe embraces the shifts and changes that happen as it dries.

Previous works have depicted symbols with significance in ancient cosmologies such as suns, waterfalls, and rainbows. More recently, Sahlehe draws inspiration from ancient and Indigenous large scale monumental architecture and sites – using these to create his own versions of sacred sites. Using color, texture, scale, and iconography, Sahlehe sets out to make paintings that offer the potential for producing introspective and spiritual space.

Hasani Sahlehe (b. 1991) was born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. His work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions at Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA; SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA; Adams and Ollman, Portland, OR; MARCH, New York, NY; Tif Sigfrids, Athens, GA; Tops Gallery, Memphis, TN; and Gallery 12.26, Dallas, TX, among others. His work was included in the 2021 Atlanta Biennial at Atlanta Contemporary. He is a recipient of a 2023 Macdowell Fellowship. Sahlehe's work is in the permanent collections of The High Museum of Art and the Georgia Museum of Art. He received his BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2015.

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