'Struggle in the Soil' continues Back’s lifelong exploration of humanity’s relationship with the earth, spirituality, and the act of creation_ This new body of work deepens the inquiry, confronting not only man’s struggle with the soil itself but also the broader confrontation with God and the condition of life in a fallen world_ At the same time, these works mirror the artist’s own wrestle with creation, the tension between intention and impulse, control and surrender_ Working with ink, acrylic, wash, and collage, he layers, erases, and rebuilds, allowing images to shift between presence and absence_ Central to his approach is what he calls “the act of painting over” where forms once visible are obscured, reshaped, or transformed, as old canvases become new ones and fragments of a hand, an eye, or a fingerprint emerge only to dissolve again_ 

“I can’t declare finished if I haven’t lived with it for a while”

-Back reflects, capturing both the risk and the vitality of his practice_ Influenced by classical African art alongside Abstract and Neo-Expressionist traditions, Back is now based in Mauritius and has exhibited widely on the international stage, including at Zeitz MOCAA (2018–2019)_

EXHIBITION: 10.10.2025 - 24.10.2025