Salaam continues his exploration of the oriented strand board as a medium with his gilded works that serve as a material juxtaposition with a focus on transcendence. The board is enriched by the artist’s intuition and application of our most coveted earthly material in leaf form, gold/ platinum, a material known for possessing deep historical and other worldly connotations. By using multiple different gilding methods Salaam creates an experiential three dimensional space of movement that glows and reflects whatever stands before it. Engaging with such an unusually large object of seamless pure 24ct gold/platinum, the artist intends to invoke a primordial physical and spiritual sensation. The works are metaphorical windows into the realm of souls where forms and relationships between bodies imply movement, ascension, descension and togetherness all while being of a material that will not tarnish, fade or oxidise over time. 

Drawing on action painting and gestural abstraction, Salaam’s thickly layered smeared paintings reveal a spontaneity, a surrender to chance and the sculptural elements inherent in painting. After days of preparation, Salaam pours up to 15 litres of paint onto a large canvas, and in a focused gesture, creates thick works in a single movement as the paint starts to dry. Similarly, Salaam creates light paintings, working in the darkroom with chemicals and instinctual gestures in a homage to the origins of photography and intuitive creativity.