Al Hashemi creates composite images using satellite shots of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Landscapes intermingle in kaleidoscopic abstractions to reveal the complex structures underlying these cities. The hypnotic, yet highly ordered patterns follow strict guidelines of geometry, echoing constructions in Islamic art and architecture.
Al Hashemi is part of a new generation of artists presenting documentary photography in a post-internet framework by relying on new sources for appropriation. These artists not only bring a novel subjects into focus, they also present a multitude of innovative options for photographic execution. The work affords viewers a perspective on developments in the history of photography, using techniques which would have been painstakingly difficult to produce before the advent of digital technology.