I Will Go To Paradise, Self-Portrait, Hyères 2008

I Will Go To Paradise, Self-Portrait, Hyères 2008 depicts the artist disappearing into the sea's horizon. In four stages, a tiny djellaba silhouette gradually merges with the water glistening in the twilight. The panels are permeated by an irrational chromatic atmosphere achieved by using a hand-colouring technique, giving them a dreamlike dimension.

Since leaving his native country in 2003, Egyptian photographer Youssef Nabil has taken an introspective approach in solitary landscapes. Closely connected to the experience of exile, his self-portraits usually depict him from behind, dressed in traditional Arab attire and facing the horizon like a lone walker. Here, it swallows him up.

Acquired by the Pinault Collection, I Will Go To Paradise, Self-Portrait, Hyères 2008 is being presented for the first time during Nabil's 2020 solo show “Once Upon A Dream” at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice.