Al Tariq (The Way) 1964

Ismail Shammout’s painting “Al Tariq (The Way)” is built with thick strokes of oil paint. It's easy to imagine the artist layering the colors, one on top of another, searching for a certain kind of intensity. I wonder what it was like for Shammout to stand before this canvas, trying to capture this moment. With each brushstroke, he's not just painting faces, he's laying down a piece of himself. Look at the intensity in those eyes. The way the light hits their faces makes it seem like they're illuminated with inner fire. The color palette is quite earthy and rich, with ochre and browns dominating the scene. There is a sort of conversation happening between different artists, through the ages. Each one grappling with what it means to be alive, to feel, and to express that through paint. Shammout's painting is a way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world, and as viewers, we are invited into that process.