Urbanism, the rise of the metropole and the birth of global culture is an object of curiosity and fascination for artists. In Espresso 4 the Road, Mubarak Nasser Al-Thani’s work explores the concept of global culture through what connects people, both physically and culturally.
The works displayed cover cross-border topics of urbanism, including architecture, flora and fauna, geography, history, exploration, among others. Travel and road trips are a large part of the process while creating this body of work. The playful depiction of iconic symbols stresses the universality of global culture, and how we come to perceive it.
On the other hand, the art work tries to capture the non-tangible human side of global culture. Things that have become visually iconic and distinctive are presented as synonymous with certain feelings. Amusement parks, circuses, playgrounds and others are not necessarily a destination, but things embedded in our everyday life, through our moods, feelings, thoughts and behavior.
Mubarak Nasser Al-Thani is a self-taught artist that works with dimensions, colors, geometrics, abstraction, and literal expressionism to capture cities, skylines, horizons, interaction, culture, history and politics. Al-Thani was a resident at the Fire Station (2017-2018) and at the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) (2021). He participated in exhibitions in New York City, Geneva, Saint Petersburg and Doha. He has a BA from Georgetown School of Foreign Service and an MA in Urban Planning from New York University (NYU).
