david najib kasir

David Najib Kasir is an oil painter based in Milwaukee. David's paintings deal with personal narratives as well as cultural and historical events important to him. Many of his pieces have elements of math in the titles. He explained that this is a reminder of his culture in the Middle East where math originally comes from. Also many of his paintings have fragmented figures. He does this to make sure himself as well as his viewers can understand what they are going through. With these faceless figures, viewers can put themselves and their own loved ones into the pieces. It was really interesting to hear him describe his thought process and intentions behind these fragmented and faceless figures. He wants to audiences to care deeply about the figures and the issues he presents, and seeing oneself or their loved ones in the pieces pushes them to care even more. 

Subtract Small Additions/ Barbwire Divide, Acrylic on canvas, 42 x 42", 2018

David also incorporates patterns and designs into his paintings. He described how he started to notice patterns as an art student, and was immediately attracted to them. He knew he wanted to somehow incorporate that into his work. Some of the patterns come out of his parents' homeland, helping make people aware of the beauty from these places of his childhood. 

The Ratio of Percents in Ghosts, Acrylic on Canvas, 48X48", 2020

Through his work he shows loving familial relationships and pays homage to his own daughters. On his website he describes how his "work is comprised of personal narrative and surrounds the act of coming to terms with the challenges of family, life, love, and loss." This aspect of his work really spoke to me, as my some of my work deals with similar themes, specifically the project I'm working on now. Not only that, but through his work he brings light to his childhood and family's homeland in the Middle East and the destruction that has happened there. He showed some of his work related to this, depicting rubble of buildings he once knew. 

Quotient Remainders In Bedrooms + Decreased in Daughters, Oil & Acrylic on Panel, 47x48", 2021