Gommaar Gilliams: Constructing Layers of Meaning
Each of Gilliams’ paintings is an intricate composition of accumulated marks, textures, and images—what he describes as a “visual palimpsest.” His process begins with an unconventional foundation: soaking fabric in acrylic, allowing pigment to seep into the material rather than merely resting on its surface. This technique establishes a sense of embedded history, a base upon which he constructs further layers using oil paint, oil sticks, and collage elements. By alternately concealing and revealing, he creates a dynamic interplay between presence and absence, echoing the way memories are formed, altered, and reinterpreted over time.
The artist’s choice of imagery reinforces this theme. Motifs such as crescent moons, foxes, and castle-like structures appear repeatedly, carrying a sense of folklore and collective memory. These symbols are never fixed in meaning; instead, they invite viewers to project their own associations onto the work. A fox, for instance, might embody cunning in one culture and comfort in another, while a moonlit landscape can evoke mystery or serenity, depending on one’s perspective. By working with such fluid symbolism, Gilliams fosters a deeply personal yet universal experience.
This duality extends to the emotional resonance of his paintings. His works often exist in a space between nostalgia and dreamlike ambiguity, where familiarity is intertwined with the unknown. The paintings are neither entirely figurative nor wholly abstract—they resist classification, existing in a liminal state where past and present, material and immaterial, converge. This balance of contrasts imbues his work with a dynamic energy, ensuring that no single interpretation can fully contain its meaning.
The night around me
2024
oil, oil stick, acrylic on painted and stitched fabrics
90x120cm
Textures of Time: The Tactile Presence of Gilliams’ Paintings
Gilliams’ artistic philosophy is not confined to imagery alone—his paintings possess a distinct physicality that enhances their conceptual depth. The layered construction of his works makes them feel almost sculptural, as if time itself has left its imprint on the canvas. This interest in texture stems from a desire to make his paintings more than just images; he envisions them as objects with presence, akin to frescoes or woven tapestries that bear the weight of history.
His techniques contribute to this aged, tactile quality. After the initial dyeing process, he applies oil paint and oil sticks, often scraping away layers to expose underlying traces. This method mirrors the way memories surface and fade, revealing glimpses of past iterations beneath the latest marks. Collage elements, such as stitched fabric, further emphasize the physicality of his work, making each piece a constructed artifact rather than a flat surface.
By engaging with these material processes, Gilliams challenges traditional notions of painting. His works do not merely depict—they embody. The textured surfaces, rough and refined in equal measure, suggest paintings that have endured the passage of time, as though they have been unearthed from an ancient past while simultaneously speaking to contemporary concerns. In this way, his art operates on multiple levels, merging materiality with metaphor, creating works that invite both tactile engagement and introspective reflection.
