Asma Bahmim Saudi, b. 1979
Rose Explosion depicts four different variations of wilted flowers. The paper incorporates Madini flowers, hinting at the provenance of the subject. The paintings symbolize a toxic relationship, rendered through ornate floral motifs that underscore themes of deception and turmoil.
Monotone red hues imbue the series, with each piece differing in saturation and detail. Along the lower half of the composition, a cropped section of the Quran grounds the work.
Flowers once uprooted, naturally fade and decay, mirroring the deterioration of the relationship itself. This natural degradation becomes a metaphor for the corrosion of intimacy concealed beneath the work’s surface.
