Of Things to Come
In this collection of work, Yahya confronts the possibility of the end of the world, caused by forces beyond human control. The organic shapes of rocks seem to burn through the canvas, as if they are meteors entering the Earth’s atmosphere. In many of the works, the human face (the most identifiable feature) is obscured, either bleached out of recognition or obscured by the outline of one of these rocks. Yet life could only be created from elements forged through the repeated collapse of celestial bodies, which highlights
the chaos and enormity of time and space.
In contrast to this, Yahya explores the utter insignificance of human achievement no matter how remarkable, represented by scientists and pioneering thinkers who rejected established norms to make their own discoveries. Not only do we see da Vinci’s Vetruvian Man, fragmented, but also al-Biruni’s incredible insight in refuting Aristotelian physics (especially non-elliptic planetary motion) and discovering the circumference of the Earth. Perhaps most recognizable of all is Einstein’s ridicule of the establishment in the iconic photograph taken on his 72ndbirthday.
Yahya does not criticise or reject human achievement, rather he is reassured by its insignificance. He believes that environmental problems will only be solved naturally, and that man’s reluctance to consider his ultimate destruction is a form of nihilistic egotism.
While a direct meteor-strike could have disastrous consequences for life on Earth, this does not scare the artist, who instead views the apocalypse with detachment, as if it would be a form of cosmic justice.

Recipes
Oil on linen
60 pieces
15 x 21 cm each
2017

Blurred Vision
Oil on linen
6 pieces
29 x 29 cm each
2017

Pottery Object
oil on linen
142x142 cm
2017

Fragile
Oil on linen
142 x 142 cm
2017

Family of 13
Acrylic on linen
101 x 173 cm
2017

Singular
Acrylic on linen
101 x 122 cm
2017

Family of 4
Acrylic on linen
101 x 122 cm
2017

Family of 3
Acrylic on linen
101 x 137 cm
2017

Family of 8
Acrylic on linen
101 x 122 cm
2017

A Different Vision
Acrylic on linen
69 x 152 cm
2017

Centered Glaze
Acrylic on canvas fixed on wood set of 9 variable dimension
2017

Brilliance (Al-Biruni)
Oil on linen
142 x 142 cm
2017

Happy Birthday Mr. Einstein
Oil on linen
142 x 142 cm
2017

A Growing Universe
Oil on linen
152 x 152 cm
2017

Muhammad Ali
Oil on linen
142 x 142 cm
2017

The Artist
Oil on linen
101 x 101 cm
2017

The Curator
Oil on linen
101 x 122 cm
2017

The Master
Oil on linen
122 x 122 cm
2017

Nothing, Oil on linen, 71 x 96.5 cm, 2017 Everything, Oil on linen, 71 x 96.5 cm, 2017

Disassembling Idealism
Mixed media and plexi sculpture
80 x 58 x 9 cm
2017