BRAFA | Rashid Al Khalifa
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Artist
Rashid Al Khalifa
Conception & Curation
TRIYAD - Lisa De BoeckGallery & Scenography
Boon Gallery - Booth 34Artwork
© Rashid Al Khalifa. Courtesy of the artist. -
Born in 1952 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Rashid Al Khalifa moved to the UK in 1972 to study at Hastings College of Arts and Technology in Sussex. Inspired by impressionism, and it was upon his return to Bahrain in 1978, that he began his own renditions of his country’s landscapes, producing a series of works of the desert, sea, and historical sites.
Such atmospheric landscape paintings mark the beginning of Rashid’s artistic career, which in the 1980s evolved to figurative works, whereby he merged elements of landscapes and the female form with fleeting mark-making. In the 1990s, his style of painting underwent a noticeable change, nonetheless romantic, as he began to incorporate foliage, pattern and a darker colour palette.
Rashid shifted his attention again in the early 2000s, towards the formation of the convex canvas, further abstracting forms on the surface which resulted in a synthesis of colour and gesture. In the late 2000s, he began to experiment with totally different materials, frequently dictated by the sculptural form of the convex, which led to a much more minimalistic style. It was then that he began to engage the smooth façade that his chosen material aluminium, offered. Rashid continued to consider and equate the susceptibility, mechanics and geometric processes involved in certain aspects of the designs and architecture that he visualized in Bahrain’s ever-changing landscape, and he quickly began to incorporate these findings into his practice. His resulting works from 2015 onwards are indeed inherent of a certain dichotomy; they are powerful and dominating, but concurrently effortless, delicate and meditative.
Rashid’s oeuvre is in many ways defined by its diversity in terms of style and medium. However, there is an undercurrent that flows through decades of creative work, driven by his desire to develop and evolve. In many respects, the stylistic transitions that define certain periods, reflect the changing landscape of his country and the passages of his life.
Recognized as the foremost patron of the arts in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Rashid currently holds the position of Chairman of the National Council for Arts, Bahrain. An avid art collector, he established a foundation in his name in 2020. Located in Riffa, Bahrain, The RAK Art Foundation is dedicated to empowering artists by providing opportunities; encouraging cross-cultural collaborations and exchange; and fostering international partnerships.
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25 January – 1 February 2026 | Boon Gallery – Booth 34
In January 2026, TRIYAD initiates the presentation of Rashid Al Khalifa (b. 1952, Bahrain) at the BRAFA Art Fair, one of Europe’s oldest and most established art fairs. A leading contemporary artist from the Gulf, Al Khalifa is presented within a European fair context shaped by dialogue across historical, modern, and contemporary practices.
The presentation at BRAFA centres on Spectrum XXIV (2025), a work from Al Khalifa’s ongoing Spectrum series. The series explores repetition, geometry, and colour through convex aluminium reliefs informed by architectural principles and Bahrain’s built environment. Light, surface, and spatial perception operate as structural elements, positioning the work at the intersection of painting, sculpture, and architecture.
For BRAFA 2026, TRIYAD introduces Rashid Al Khalifa’s work in collaboration with Boon Gallery, situating the artist’s practice within a broader art-historical dialogue. Presented within a booth featuring works by artists such as Joan Miró, Henry Moore, and Alighiero Boetti.
Rashid Al Khalifa | Spectrum XXIV, 2025 | Enamel on Aluminium | 80 X 80 cm
Rashid Al Khalifa | Spectrum XXIV, 2025 | Enamel on Aluminium | 80 X 80 cm
Rashid Al Khalifa | Spectrum XXIV, 2025 | Enamel on Aluminium | 80 X 80 cm