Edreys Wajed (b. 1974)

In the title Fantasy (EWF), the EWF stands for Earth, Wind, and Fire. The painting is from Edreys Wajed’s series, Check Out my Melodie. As he donated the work, Scott Propeack noted, “Although the work that was in Contemporary Portraiture was from the series, Behind the Music; this series is both more abstract and complicated in composition.” Indeed, the layers of colors to represent the elements (minus water) create a calligraphic-like representation of landscape. Finely articulated letters floating near the surface convey the message: COME TO SEE VICTORY. As with both series, the artist creates an audio-visual musical score as palimpsest, overlaying rhythms in different colors and brushstrokes that contribute to the fullness of the visual composition as well as the textual or implied message.

--Nancy Weekly, 2022