‘Circus Act #1 (2010) is part of the collection of Schunck* in Heerlen, The Netherlands.
About:
“My work, which is mainly inspired by history, religion, politics, film, fairy tales, families and the media, essentially provides an alienated perspective of my personal vision of the world. I often produce series in which I merge several stories into a new entity from which new images emerge. The common denominators in my work are antagonistic notions such as guilt/innocence, power/impotence, or man/woman.
Hocus Pocus, 2014.
In everday life we hardly ever question what lies beneath the events and objects we perceive as familiar; yet nothing is what it seems. I am intrigued by the various layers within a given story and try to bring them to the surface. To do so I leave out redundant information such as time or place, whereas the titles and, more generally, a sense of humour are important elements of my work. While my earlier investigations focussed on family life and politics, my recent practice has progressively shifted towards more universal and political contents.”
A Small Show within the Greatest Show of the World.
Wafae Ahalouch el Keriasti (b. 1978, Tanger) works across drawing, painting, installation, and sculpture to create vivid, immersive, and personal visions of our alienated world. Her frames of reference draw from a multiplicity of sources: the circus, history, politics, family, and fairy tales. Recently her practice has developed toward an analysis of the feminine within these frameworks.
The Illuminator, 2010-2012.
For the Biennale of Marrakesh (2014) she created a new commission conflating the myth of Aicha Qandisha, a female devil in Moroccan folklore, and a vision for contemporary women in Morocco. This work brings the mythological past to bear on the future of women who occupy a difficult and ambiguous place in the culture and politics of the nation.
The Joker, 2010.
El Keriasti has taken part in residencies at De Ateliers, Amsterdam (2001–2003), Rijksakademie, Amsterdam (2006–2007); and Kunsterlhaus Bethanien, Berlin (2010). She has had solo shows at Kunstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, (2010); Galerie sans titre, Brussels (2009); and Museum Jan Cunen, Oss (2008). Her work has been included in group exhibitions at the Young Artist Biennale, Bucharest (2008); White Box, New York (2009); Grimmuseum, Berlin (2010); and WIELS, Brussels (2010).
