Artist Abdul Vas on his November show, Legacy Trucks

Rock, cars and art, through Vas’s eyes

Artist Abdul Vas’s work brings together rock music, American car culture and popular imagery. His distinctive visual language is populated by larger-than-life characters and references drawn from the worlds that have shaped his imagination.

Now, with his latest series, Legacy Trucks, the internationally exhibited artist turns his attention to the pickup truck.

The project has a particularly interesting connection to the region. This summer, Vas visited Sharjah’s Off Road History Museum, where he had the opportunity to see the world’s largest Hummer. 

Dedicated to the history and culture of four-wheel drive vehicles, the museum offered a natural connection to the subject of his latest series. The museum brings together an impressive collection of classic, rare and customised cars, with highlights including the world’s largest Hummer. For Vas, the visit offered an opportunity to immerse himself in a world that has long occupied an important place in his imagination.

Set to be unveiled this November, Legacy Trucks comprises 12 paintings inspired by vehicles from GMC, Hummer and Cadillac. Across the series, Vas explores the visual language surrounding American cars, from their associations with power and freedom to their inherent sense of excess. 

Rather than treating the vehicles simply as objects, he gives them personality, turning each into a character in its own right.

That approach is central to Vas’s wider practice. The artist has developed a distinctive visual universe that draws together the worlds of rock music and contemporary art. At its centre is Kippenland, his own imagined world populated by characters, symbols and references that have evolved throughout his career.

Music, in particular, has been a constant influence. Vas’s relationship with rock band AC/DC has informed much of his artistic thinking, inspiring a body of work that deliberately rejects convention in favour of energy and movement.

“I wanted to make art inspired by the power of AC/DC’s music, so it was necessary for me to break with the academic past of art, and with all the established trends. I simply want my work to capture the rhythm and essence of AC/DC, the greatest Rock’n’Roll band of all time.” Says Vas.

His work does not follow a particular contemporary art movement or academic programme. Instead, Vas has developed a deeply personal visual vocabulary shaped by the things that have captured his imagination over time. Rock music, cars, fictional characters and references from popular culture come together to create a world that is unmistakably his own.

That individuality has also given Vas an international platform. He has exhibited and participated in artistic projects across Europe, Asia and the United States, with projects and exhibitions spanning Madrid, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Belgrade and New York. His work has also been presented at the Beijing Biennale and is held in collections around the world.

Legacy Trucks extends that world while introducing a new connection to the UAE through his visit to Sharjah. It brings together international influences and the visual culture that continues to shape his imagination.

Visit: abdulvasacdc