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JAMALI Gallery, NYC fervently launches a personal debut of the artist’s most iconic & intimate figurative paintings as a special tributary exhibition to the people of this city entitled, “Angels in New York”. Ubiquitously known for his angelic composites as frescoes and pigmentation on corks, Jamali’s signature intense surfaces and imagery alike, afford a moment of self-reflection that is desperately amiss in the hectic maze of life and raises such poignant questions about our sense of self: Do we have freedom of choice in this world with both our bodies and our minds? What guides us to do right in this world or perhaps commit certain wrongs? And are we programmed to be as we are, naturally, or is there a higher sense of moral judgment that codifies our everyday actions? This ambitious showing of 14 discretionary angels, including a rare fresco taken directly from the artist’s archives, presents an ongoing philosophical debate that transcends the entirety of Jamali’s 40+ year career.
There is no standard look to Jamali’s angels, contrary to popular thought, as evident by the sheer variety and scale of these angels who clash in gender, expression and style, and yet, Jamali dedicates them all to the people of New York simply because they ARE the people of New York. The feverish, slanted brows in somber hues that veer on hysteria, to the ebullient colorful mushroom cloud of spitting angels, and even to the defiant reddened shaman who stands in isolated solidarity, these are all the cornerstones of our spiritual souls that tug at our subconscious and guide our every move. As the great philosopher Joseph Campbell writes, “When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of our subconscious.” The people of this great city bear witness and testimony to this message time and time again, and whether they choose to call upon the angels of mercy, the angels of retribution or the angels of acceptance, that will determine the future of our city, our world, and of us.
However, Jamali offers a lasting gift to this exhibition, affording viewers an extraordinary opportunity of sampling an Angelic Fresco that is already predestined for his single artist museum. The message of optimism and hope could not be more vocal or assuming, and this is Jamali’s hope for all of humanity, forever.
Jamali is currently building his own single-artist museum dedicated to “Mystical Expressionism” in Winter Park, Florida and is considering proposals throughout Europe and New York City. The artist has four-exclusive art galleries and is represented in 60 galleries through the United States and in well over 7,000 collections. He is also the subject of six artist monographs published by Rizzoli Publications, and continues to produce work on a daily basis. Jamali NYC Gallery is open to the public seven days a week 10:00AM – 7:00PM, and by special appointment. For more information or to request images, please contact the gallery at: (212) 966-3335 or Sara@Jamali.com.
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