Maaz Ali
Maaz Ali
Born in Nuremberg in 1994
(English version below)
The Nuremberg native has been very familiar with pen and paper since his childhood. He is enthusiastic about special architecture, tram stops, subway stations and railway lines. Public transport vehicles also regularly appear in his drawings: trains, trams, buses, etc.
He often puts different papers together and constructs sprawling structures several meters wide. The material is stuck on, labeled, endlessly folded and unfolded, stuffed into bags, taken home again and again and brought back to the studio. This work can take months and gives the paper a patina that we might know from old banknotes: small tears and dirt, soft folds and creases, smearing of the applied color and lines become part of the image's characteristics. In this way, Maaz creates surfaces on which we recognize typical city processes: growth and expansion on the one hand, aging and wear and tear on the other. His work is unsettling because we never know when it will be finished. He could take it up again at any time and change it as he wished. There is also no direction from which his pictures can be viewed properly, because things, figures and writings are often arranged at different angles or show several views at the same time.
Since he usually works on both sides of his sheets, no one can be sure which might be the front or back of his drawing, or which side should preferably be shown.
Maaz began working in the KUNSTRAUM studio of WerkStadt Lebenshilfe in 2015. In 2018 he was invited to take part in the exhibition “zona deformabile” at the kunst galerie Fürth. The exhibition was curated by Natalie de Ligt and documented in Fürth.
Maaz Ali
Nuremberg born Maaz Ali (*1994) feels incredibly familiar with pencil and paper since his early life. He is excited about remarkable architecture, underground or street car stations and railway tracks. Also the vehicles of public transport regularly appear in his drawings: trains, street cars, buses and what not.
He often adds different sorts of drawing paper, assembles ample structures, several meters wide, produces sort of a patchwork in a steady progress. The matter is being glued, drawn on, endlessly folded and unfolded, stuffed into bags and being transported home and back to the studio, perpetually. This work can be continued for months and provides the material with a patina we know from strongly used legal notes: small cracks and stains, softened folding and crinkles, smudges colors and lines become part of the pictures characteristic. In this way Maaz step by step generates surfaces on which we're about to recognize a typical process of urban life: growth and expansion on the one hand as well as aging and abrasion on the other.
Since we never know, when a specific work of art is finished, we find ourselves maneuvered in an uncertain position, because he might pick up one of his papers at any moment and change it the way he wants to. There is also no direction from which to survey his pictures correctly, because things, figures and lettering often appear from different angles or will probably be shown from several perspectives at the same time.
Since he usually works on both sides of his papers, no one can be sure what will be the front or the backside of his drawing or rather which side shall preferably be shown.
In 2015 Maaz started to work at KUNSTRAUM studios of WerkStadt Lebenshilfe Nürnberg. In 2018 he was invited to participate at 'zona deformabile' exhibition at kunst galerie fuerth, curated and documented by Natalie de Ligt.