Imani Bilal | A Piece of Infinity
ON VIEW
October 21 - November 3, 2022
RECEPTION
Friday, October 21, 6 - 9 pm
LOCATION
413 West Broadway
New York, NY
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Imani Bilal (b. 1983) is a contemporary abstract painter and poet based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her work is deeply inspired by the many states of the human condition and is rooted in her spiritual (Islamic) practices. As she explains, “I strive to convey the notion of Tawheed (oneness), the idea of primordial matter, chaos, and calm; of all things sharing a source and being connected to an infinite mound, inclusive of the human experience."
Her language is versatile and her approach, unconventional, working with acrylic, ink, and resin to articulate emotion and promote connectivity through color and movement. Bilal, who has been experimenting with paint since childhood, has developed a unique process of her own. She often paints while seated on the floor to pour her whole body into the composition, using her hands, mouth, and found objects to create an array of effects that become part of an intricate yet fluid work of art.
Bilal's first solo show in New York City, Fingerprints of Ruh (2020), curated by Nemo Librizzi, was met with enthusiasm and led to gallery representation by Chase Contemporary Gallery in SoHo, NYC and East Hampton, NY. Inspired by the Islamic concept of “ruh” or breath/inner soul/spirit, it explored the idea of soulmates from an unorthodox perspective and featured lush palettes and undulant shapes against pure obsidian wash.
Dubbed "a force to be reckoned with in the contemporary art world" by Forbes Magazine, her work has captivated many. Bilal says abstraction is rebellious by nature and fuels her artistic freedom. She is among a small community of Black Muslim American women who push the avant-garde and has since created space of her own to exhibit the works of underrepresented emerging artists through her gallery.
Chase Contemporary is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new works by abstract painter Imani Bilal. An opening reception with the artist will be held on October 21, 2022 from 6 - 9 pm at 413 W. Broadway.
The exhibition will be centered around themes of self-discovery via stillness, identity, and limitlessness. Bilal’s aim is to encourage viewers to engage with the artwork in a way that offers deeper insight into the self and surroundings, rather than focus solely on the technicalities of the work.
Bilal’s abstract canvases are created with varying mixtures of ink, acrylic paint, and oil paint, each one forming a world of blending colors. Bilal typically paints while seated on the floor, using her hands, her breath, and self-made implements to spread the paint and ink over each canvas. Bilal explains, “I'm constantly making compositional decisions about where the colors should go, how they move, and how they react with one another.”
A Piece of Infinity builds on the themes from Bilal’s previous solo exhibition at the gallery, Behind the Veil: Musings of Muraqaba. Her previous body of work concentrated on the Islamic concept of Muraqba, a term which translates to the act of taking care or watching over. A practicing Muslim, Bilal believes that through meditation or muraqba, one tends to their spiritual heart and soul, and through this gains deeper insight about themselves and their surroundings.
Bilal’s new series of paintings for A Piece of Infinity continue contemplating the concept of muraqba with a particular focus on the release of material attachments. She says, “It's about honesty in introspection and giving a voice to our rawest emotions so that we can live in truth and offer a more authentic self to the world.” A major theme in her work is being present. As she defines it, “Infinity is nothing but a collection of moments. The repetition of ‘now’ over and over and over.” Imani Bilal was born in New York City, and spent the past several years in Atlanta, GA before relocating to Newark, NJ in July 2022. She is among a small community of Black Muslim American women who push the avant-garde. Rebellious by nature, Bilal says resistance fuels her artistic freedom. She has encountered pushback from other Muslims who challenge her explication and unorthodox methods of expression. Her work has been written up in Black Art in America and Forbes magazine.
