Adham Hussein

The Art of Boxing

My work in the exhibition revolves around boxing. I represented boxers and artists I admire in a cohesive body of work with techniques implemented for each. However, the importance was the culture seen in some works and other small details in each work belonging to the life of the boxer I was representing for instance. 

I worked with three medias. While my main focus was Basquiat and the neo-expressionist movement, taking most inspiration from this, I also included interesting techniques used by other artists in some works, including Alana Dee Haynes and Leonid Afremov. The most recurrent was mixed media as I have good experience working this in the arts class. With the first four works being Basquiat inspired, they all complemented each other as mixed media’s since many different techniques can be put in one place for an unrestrained type of art. The second media was a collage, but both collages included writing designs inspired by Alana Dee Haynes. Having done doodle and noodle research in the process journal I was very interested in the technique. Therefore, when I saw Hayne’s work on people themselves I knew it was time to make art works portraying this type of style. The last media I have is a wire sculpture as I hadn’t been able to do a 3D artwork before which I was very interested in, and had the perfect idea on how to end the cohesive body of work. This would be done by hanging the gloves up or “colgar los guantes” in Spanish, which is what the wire gloves represent. 

Raised in Puerto Rico, boxing is very integrated with the culture and also in my origin Palestine, combat sports are very famous. I have always loved watching boxing and Basquiat as an artist interpreting boxers such as Muhammad Ali, which is my favorite ever. I became eager to make works inspired by him being amazed as to how his simplistic drawings gained so much traction throughout his career, as long as our shared joy for the sport. Therefore, due to the admiration for Basquiat I decided to make reinterpretations of how Basquiat would create these boxers artworks if he were alive today. I included among my favorite boxers which I have watched ever since a young age and represented them recreating poses in cases. Most importantly, these were political figures and involved with their communities in many instances which is what Basquiat looks for in figures. Cotto is my first work, the second represents the toy boxing machines I played with as a kid, the third Floyd Mayweather after knocking his opponent out, the fourth Tito Trinidad as he beat la Hoya, the fifth Tyson and Cotto as their tattoos correlate, the sixth de la Hoya and Trinidad’s fight with cultural details, and the seventh is the boxers hanging up the gloves. Another great influence was Leonid Afremov for the background. Afremov made real drawings look like cartoons, which is why I believed the second and third works needed to have fans and most importantly a background that correctly fit with Basquiat-inspired cartoons. 

While my love for boxing and my favorite boxers was important, the key thing is the little details I would add in the works revealing information about the fighters themselves or adding a part of their culture. These elements might include the horse seen in the first work, the Puerto Rican flower and the Mexican cactus in the Millenium fight work, the lines representing tattoos on the Cotto and Tyson collage, Trinidad’s favorite food in the work titled “Tito Tito”, boxing records, and even sayings by the fighters. 

I know not everyone is a boxing fan, but I want my work to be received with the person knowing what I was trying to achieve and all the factors I put into each work. Although simplistic works, I want them to be known for what elements there are in each. With bright works that have interesting colors, grabbing the viewer’s attention should not be an issue. However, I want them to see how I admire the people I chose to represent my works and more importantly the artistic details that I want them to focus on.