ARTCH TECTURE KAL GAJOUM ON THE CUTTING EDGE

kal gajoum Was Born in 1968 in Tripoli, Libya; he now resides in Montreal, Canada. He exquisitely wields a palette knife and color-rich oil paint to create (amongst a wide variety of subject matter) vibrant, captivating cityscapes.

His interest in art began at age 10 when he was introduced to oil painting and palette techniques by a friend of his family, who was an artist in attendance at the Leonardo Da Vinci School of art in Rome. He held his first exhibition (at the age of 15) in 1983 in Tripoli. In 1986, he moved to Paris to learn watercolor techniques and the Parisian style of painting from a private artist.

After a few years, he settled in Malta to be closer to home. (Malta is about 220 miles north of Tripoli.) He made a living restoring classic oil paint pieces at the Royal Fine Art Gallery while also selling his aquarelles pieces. While experimenting with the palette knife technique, he would soon develop a taste for the techniques for the Dutch and Italian masters, such as Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Caravaggio, to name just a few. During this time, he also continued his pursuit of artistic knowledge and travelled to Tunisia to hold exhibitions.

In 2000, Kal found himself in Britain where he ran the Centre of Britain Art Gallery. He began a permanent exhibition in the City of Carlisle, where he steadily developed his palette knife techniques and put together a set of four limited edition watercolor prints of the city. He sold this collection and donated the proceeds to a local charity. In 2003, he immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and eventually settled in Montreal.

Gajoum has become an exceptional artist whose originality and sense of beauty is obvious. He captures us with his vigorous strokes that create unique and awe-inspiring ambiances; and his characters, dressed nearly all in black, tease us with just a hint of vibrant colors. He portrays the essence of modern cities of Europe, Vancouver, or the Old Quebec by recreating their architectural treasures with his palette knife.

He is represented by Gallery Rouge in the United Kingdom, Galerie Beauchamp in Québec and Toronto, and Plaza Galleries in British Colombia, as well as many galleries all over the world. n out I’m just

“Proof that we don’t understand death is that we give dead people a pillow.” — Jerry Seinfeld

You can see more of (and learn how you can buy) his amazing work at: kalgajoum.com

WHY ARTCH TECTURE ?

Great art is among the most sublime, meaningful, and redeeming creations of all civilization. Few endeavors can equal the power of great artwork to capture aesthetic beauty, to move and inspire, to change perceptions, and to communicate the nature of human experience. Great art is also complex, mysterious, and challenging. Filled with symbolism, cultural and historical references, and often visionary imagery, great artworks oblige us to reckon with their many meanings.

Architects and designers (many of our readers) have a lot of influence on the way we perceive the world. A structure often plays a significant part in how we experience a place. (Think of a restaurant, a museum, an arena, a stadium... even an office building - virtually anywhere!) The interior design impacts our sensory perception, our comfort, and our physical connection and there is also artistry in the exterior design. (That’s why we call it artchitecture.)