Love Painting

J A H A N G I R H O S S A I N with H E N R Y M O O R E 15th July - 4th August 2011 Oxford Gallery Janhangir Hossain reflects upon the challenges presented by modern society, taking cues from the great Henry Moore. Here we take a closer look at his story. The point of contact for this Exhibition is Aidan Meller. He is the director of the Meller Merceux Gallery. Meller studied at the University of Exeter and Sotheby’s Institute, and set up the galleries in 1998. He specialises in modern and contemporary art and is regarded as an expert in this fi eld. Meller continues to work closely with private collectors and is often consulted by those who wish to begin, or further develop, their collections with some form of cohesiveness. Jahangir Hossain’s interests lie in the relationships we have with one another and the environment in which we live. Through his art he aims to stimulate reflection on the human condition and the way in which we respond to the world around us. The pervasive influence of technology continues to divert attention away from personal relationships, conducted face to face in real time. This is a troubling concern for Hossain, who believes strong romantic and familial connections are central to achieving happiness. His work explores this theme using the mother and child motif, as well as couples in loving embrace. The intermingling of forms, whereby one figure almost dissolves into the flesh of the other, expresses how dependent we are on one another for love, nourishment and comfort. This message is powerfully reinforced through his solo figures, which tend to emit an air of despondent melancholy. As Hossain’s primary aim is to translate emotion, the figures are stylistic rather than realistic. Remaining featureless allows them to transcend individual differences and communicate a universal story: we need love in order to survive. Another important thread of Hossain’s work concentrates on the relationship between man and nature.