Zaam Arif (@zaamarif) was presented by Maruani Mercier at The Armory Show 2026 with a selection of paintings that draw…

Zaam Arif (@zaamarif) was presented by Maruani Mercier at The Armory Show 2026 with a selection of paintings that draw the viewer into quiet, nocturnal spaces. Solitary figures occupy these restrained environments, rendered in a muted palette of umbers and ochres that lends the works a sense of psychological tension, isolation and suspended time.

The presentation brought together The Fire Within (2026), Studio (2026), and The Scent of Trodden Weed (2026), each painted in oil on linen. Across these works, Arif’s attention remains with the figure and its surrounding space, using light, shadow and atmosphere to evoke states of solitude and contemplation.

At The Armory Show, the paintings brought together Arif’s recurring interest in the relationship between figure, environment and interiority, where the quietness of the scene becomes as significant as the presence of the subject.