Abdul Qader AlRais

Self-portrait, 1970

Oil on canvas

67 x 50 cm

Courtesy of Mohammed AlSharekh

Abdul Qader Al Rais’s artistic career began with portraits. He would regularly paint the people around him and was known for his highly detailed figurative paintings. Al Rais was inspired by Rembrandt’s self-portraits, and would use a mirror in his room to paint his own portrait. Self-portrait (1970) was painted at the age of 19. The background has visible thick brushstrokes in various shades of blue, applied side by side, that give the painting a sense of depth.