The waterways of the community — from the Hillsborough River to Tampa Bay and the crystalline shorelines of the Gulf — have long enchanted local artists. Bassmi Ibrahim (1941-2019) stood out among regional painters for his use of abstraction to convey the mysticism and allure of Florida’s landscape.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Ibrahim spent time in New York City during the height of abstract painting in the 1960s. A protégé of Mark Rothko, he found inspiration in the convergence of art and spirituality. He moved to Clearwater in the early 1970s and continued painting while running a printing business.
Ibrahim’s “Isness” series evokes the ripple of waves, dancing wind and the quiet rhythms of daily life. He stained his canvases with jewel-like colors — ruby red, sapphire blue, emerald green and topaz orange — to convey nature’s beauty and serenity.
Joanna Robotham is the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Tampa Museum of Art.
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