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Harif Guzman gave birth to this series of work, “ADAPTATION”
while physically and spiritually in limbo. MoMA Moscow was
slated to exhibit Guzman’s mid-career retrospective this month.
After years of planning, the artist was unable to acquire a visa for
Russia due to Covid-19 so the show had to be rescheduled for the
Spring.
Locked out of Russia and with no strong desire to return
to New York after living through Covid-19 in one of the most
affected areas in the United States, Guzman chose to fly to
Istanbul. During his journey across the Atlantic Ocean, Guzman
managed to misplace his phone which was actually a blessing in
disguise. The artist met new people, found a studio and started
to create.
Guzman’s newest work is heavily influenced by his concerns
about not being able to travel freely and the current political
state of his country. A temporary lack of mobility helped the
artist to better understand the plight of refugees, in Turkey and
abroad. The work attempts to express how he felt personally in
this situation and what refugees constantly endure as they are
forced to relocate to foreign lands.HOMESICK
2020
Oil, aerosol, varnish and acrylic.
90,5” x 94,5”