Intrigued by the structures which define the everyday experience,  Basir Mahmood creates photographic and video works – currently on display at Letitia Gallery, Beirut – that explore themes of labour, hierarchy, distribution and identity. Each piece looks to the human experience, exploring social and historical landscapes around the world.

Occupying the intersection between staged scenes and spontaneous documentary, the works look to the experiences of individuals within communities. The artist explains: “I am interested in exploring my position as an artist by adopting multiple roles, including: an author who writes narratives; an initiator who sets in motion collisions of people; as an observer who teleports in or out of the everyday situations; and as a withdrawn subject, for example as a disengaged onlooker on a main street.”

Eyes Recently Seen runs until 3 November. Find out more here. 

Credits:
1. Basir Mahmood, A Message to the Sea, 2012. Single-channel video, color, sound, 06:04. Courtesy of the artist.
2. Basir Mahmood, One for Each, Two For All, 2013. Inkjet on photo rag, 45cm x 30cm each (Triptych). Courtesy of the artist. 
3.  Basir Mahmood, All Good Things, 2018. Inkjet on photo rag, 120cm x 180cm. Courtesy of the artist.