ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Tomm El-Saieh's First Italian Solo Show at Macca Gallery

exhibition · 2026-05-05

Tomm El-Saieh (born Port-au-Prince, 1984) presents his first solo exhibition in Italy at Galleria Macca in Cagliari, on view until June 30, 2016. The artist, of Palestinian and Israeli descent, draws from traditional Haitian painting but removes narrative elements, replacing flat color fields with layered signs and glazes. His abstract language merges Abstract Expressionism with Haitian textile motifs and voodoo practice, resulting in rhythmic, mantra-like compositions of filamentous elements. The work is described as calligraphic painting—a visual alphabet devoid of conceptual content that structures perceptual textures and explores spatiotemporal dimensions within a meditative atmosphere.

Key facts

  • Tomm El-Saieh was born in Port-au-Prince in 1984.
  • His father is Palestinian and his mother is Israeli.
  • The exhibition is titled 'The Look' and runs until June 30, 2016.
  • The venue is Galleria Macca on Via Lamarmora 136 in Cagliari.
  • This is El-Saieh's first solo show in Italy.
  • His work originates from traditional Haitian painting but removes narrative.
  • He combines Abstract Expressionism with Haitian textile patterns and voodoo.
  • The painting is described as calligraphic and meditative.

Entities

Artists

  • Tomm El-Saieh

Institutions

  • Galleria Macca
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Port-au-Prince
  • Haiti
  • Cagliari
  • Italy

Sources