Artist Ibrahim Kareem is set to explore the delicate relationship between memory, loss and human presence in his latest solo exhibition, The Shape of Absence, opening in London on September 16.
The exhibition, which opens at 10am at Afra House London, brings together a body of work examining what remains after a person, place or moment is no longer physically present.
Through a series of paintings, Kareem reflects on the ways absence can influence memory and shape the way people remember experiences, relationships and familiar spaces.
At the heart of The Shape of Absence is a simple but significant question: what remains when something or someone is gone?
Rather than treating absence solely as a sense of loss, Kareem explores it as a space where memory continues to exist. His works consider how people, places and moments can remain emotionally present long after their physical presence has disappeared.
The exhibition explores the space between presence and absence, inviting viewers to consider memories that persist even after the experiences that created them have passed.
Kareem's paintings deliberately leave room for individual interpretation. Instead of imposing a single meaning on the viewer, the works encourage audiences to bring their own memories and experiences to the exhibition.
This openness allows the paintings to function as personal points of reflection, with different viewers potentially finding different meanings in the same work.
The relationship between memory and emotion is another central concern of the exhibition. For Kareem, absence is not simply defined by what is missing; it can also be understood through what remains in the mind.
A person may leave a particular place, a moment may come to an end, or a familiar environment may undergo change, yet the emotional imprint of that experience can endure.
Through his artistic practice, Kareem examines these lingering impressions and considers how memory can preserve elements of experiences that are no longer physically accessible.
The Shape of Absence therefore becomes an exploration not only of disappearance, but also of continuity — the ways memories, emotions and personal connections can survive changes in the physical world.
The London exhibition offers audiences an opportunity to encounter Kareem's work in person and engage with the questions that underpin the collection.
For art lovers, collectors, creatives and members of the public, the exhibition promises a contemplative experience centred on memory, loss, change and the enduring traces left behind by people and places.
The Shape of Absence opens on September 16 at 10am at Afra House London.