Black Square I, 2017

Medium: Gloss finish MDF, LEDs and electronics

Dimensions: 98 x 98 x 13cm

The Black Square refers to Kazimir Malevich’s iconic and revolutionary Black Square painting of 1915. After visiting the Whitechapel Gallery in 2015 to see the exhibition ‘Adventures of the Black Square: Abstract Art and Society 1915-2015,’ the artist was inspired to create her own version of the Black Square. As is often the case in Shemza’s work, the artist uses the abstract visual language of the past, in this case directly from Malevich, and fuses these concepts with the latest technology to try and build a bridge between the concept and the contemporary audience. Here the artist uses constructivist compositional devices to create her work and fuses them with LED technology to create a dynamic Black Square of the future.