ISSHAQ ISMAIL

Isshaq Ismail is known for bold, colorful paintings that explore how the social, cultural and political attitudes and conditions of contemporary life impact identity. In a style that he describes as “infantile semi-abstraction,” Ismail paints grotesquely accentuated faces and figures in vivid impasto. Employing thick, gestural brushstrokes, the artist has described his process in sculptural terms, using his brush to manipulate paint in the same way a sculptor might shape clay. Through these striking and evocative works, he aims to subvert and interrogate canonical ideas of beauty; explore themes of desire, resilience, power and hope; and, in his own words, “represent the masses and advocate for the voiceless.”

Young Artists Rode a $712 Million Boom. Then Came the Bust. New York Times  August 2024