I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK-47

Lire en français − اَلْعَرَبِيَّةُ

This is an excerpt from Hassan Musa's commentary on his themed work " I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK-47".

I LOVE YOU x COLONIES

LE BON ZOUAVE, Acrylic on cardboard,100x120cm,2018 

Working on Monet in his Zouave uniform made me think about the situation of European artists in the colonies. One of the iconic figure related to this topic is Paul Gauguin. Gauguin’s work inspired me when I started a new series of images entitled « I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK-47 ». An AK-47 (Automatic Kalashnikov 47) is not only a gun but it is also a symbol of armed Liberation movement in the colonies. The first image of this series refers to Gauguin’s famous « Spirit of the Dead Watching ». In Gauguin’s artwork, his 13 years wife, Teha Mana, lies near the famous rifle AK-47.

I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK47 (I) (After Gauguin), 2019 - Oil on fabrics on wood - 120 x 90 cm

I LOVE YOU X GAUGUIN

I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK47 (II) (After Gauguin), 2019 - Oil on fabrics on wood - 120 x 90 cm (Leridon Collection)

The evolution of the I LOVE YOU series lead me to various re-interpretations of Paul Gauguin ’s work while approaching the question of European painters in colonies. I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK-47 features several of Gauguin’s works he created while staying in the French colonie of Tahiti. « Spirit of the Dead Watching », was introduced earlier in these posts, but there’s also references to « Nevermore » and « Alone ».

I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK47  (After Gauguin and Balthus), 2019 - Oil on fabrics on wood  - 100 x 100 cm