a Libyan-Yurok artist who resides in Pacifica, CA. Azzuz’s paintings straddle abstraction and surrealism in their sweeping use of color, sensual movement, and evocation of the natural world. The paintings are full and alive, pressing their power up to the very edges of the canvas, resisting their frames. The shapes he makes are like liquid leaves-stretching, reaching, pulling, pushing, almost vibrating with the cycles of the seasons. Azzuz uses a series of personal gestural marks and an iconography derived from the traditions and native land of his peoples. His work reflects the resilience of Indigenous cultures and the importance of a holistic connection with the land, while simultaneously confronting the history of colonialism and manifest destiny.
Saif Azzuz, Blood Quantum 4/6, 2022
Handcuff paper, oil and enamel in walnut frame. 14 1/4 x 11 1/2 x 2 in.