The borders of the balance

Haarlem - Searching after the borders of the balance, is what we may call the theme of the works Yahya Youssef presents. In his journey using geometrical figures like circles,ovals,parabolas and triangles. Mostly using colors in a very sober way: The drawings and hard edges in black and white, he uses colors only in his paintings.

Monumental

The works of Youssef are to divide in three groups, a Seri of silk-screens on one theme, an overturning right angle which seems to be clamped between two very thin triangles,keeping the background in white, gives the figures the right clearness.

In the drawings (with the hard-edge) Youssef shows himself as a constructivist. He builds his geometrical figures with a very refined line-game with a strong space working, which disappear in his paintings an leaves a place for a very monumental style, which seems to be constructed.

Fascinating in Youssef is the tension which he evokes, a tension which arises as a balance between the figures which more and more seems to be disturbed, Youssef keeps always at the safe side, his figures do not really falls, but comes very near to the borders of the balance. beside his lines-game the use of the color have the function to clear the low of the perspective, he lets the white almost be a color, also the black which Youssef builds up with more thickness with crossed lines, which at the end becomes a flat figure. The contrast he adds gives an extra empty space against the black to be created, and again a second tension arises.

Rich fantasy

despite the greatness of the simplicity which always marks the works of Youssef, there is a reach fantasy to be discovered, never the less the outcome of the search journey after the narrow limits of the balance, in which Youssef gives his evidence as a contribution.

Mr.Cees Straus (Trouw)

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