“Not trash, but people. Not remnants, but lives – look closer and they will tell you their stories.”

The vibrant, bold and colourful paintings of Isshaq Ismail explore and investigates how the social, cultural, and political aspects of the modern world impact identity. Ismail paints faces and figures in impasto, typically depicting them with accentuated grotesque features and using black, brown, Blue, Purple, Green, Ochre and Red hues. His portraits also reflect his interest in themes such as desire, resilience, power, Joy and hope; they tell stories and universal truths about societies around the world.

Imperfections 4