Raw instinct

AMMAN — In his latest works of acrylic and pastel on canvas, Jordanian artist Muhammad Afefa explores instinct in its most raw and refined forms.

His artworks on display at Societá Dante Alighieri Amman in the exhibition “Memories and Fish” delve into the psyche of human and animal instinct with a sense of rawness reflective of its subject matter.

Building his paintings on the recurring motifs of a female, a shark-like fish and a chair, Afefa, also a political cartoonist, creates new meanings by juxtaposing these three shapes — and at times even combining them — in a strange twist on the traditional trinity of the id, ego and superego. 

“I see the female as representative of humans, the fish as a manifestation of raw instinct, and the chair as the ‘humanised’ form of instinct — the hunger for power,” Afefa told The Jordan Times in an interview.

In his paintings, the three shapes are seen existing each in their own vacuums, closely interacting with each other in harmony, or struggling to gain the upper hand in a savage conflict.

The female is at times seen flirting with the fish, reaching out in an attempt to gain an understanding, and at other times standing separately with a bag in hand as if parting ways.

Other images are more violent, showing the three shapes caught in a struggle of dominion, each perhaps vying for absolute control over the psyche — lusting for that elusive chair of power.

Afefa’s background as a cartoonist gives him a sure hand in sketching out his ideas, but he makes sure not to take away from the mystery of the work by leaving it open to a kaleidoscope of interpretations.

He employs rich, textured colours to give a bold background to his paintings, capitalising on the harmonious mixture of hues, and on their staggering conflict as well to add dimensions to the struggle between the figures in his work.

Seemingly random doodles sometimes pervade his pieces, revealing another level of meaning at a closer inspection.

“I don’t plan how a painting is going to end up looking. I simply absorb whatever experiences I encounter and let my subconscious express them through my work,” Afefa said.

Acknowledging that there is a sense of symbolism in the paintings akin to his work as a cartoonist, the artist stressed, however, that the pieces give him and the viewer more freedom to explore different meanings and impressions.

“Cartoons may have a wider audience, but you have to think, rethink and redo them a hundred times as you take in so many variables,” Afefa, who has been a cartoonist for over 10 years, explained.

“As a cartoonist, you want your audience to understand the idea you are imparting, but you also try to make sure that your editors also understand and approve the work,” he added.

“With paintings, you don’t have to worry about this. I’m done with the work when I want to be. No one can change it.” 

Exploring his latest exhibition, one can surmise that Afefa the artist and the cartoonist are one and the same.

Being a cartoonist has become part of his identity as an artist, enriching his paintings and informing his style in a unique advantage that adds more layers to his work.

The paintings are on display until April 10.