ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Vanitas Artist from the Digital Age

'VANITAS! VANITATUM VANITAS!'
by Johan Wolfgang von Geothe -
(1806) [abbreviated version]

My trust in nothing now is placed,
So in the world true joy I taste,
Then he who would be a comrade of mine
Must rattle his glass, and in chorus combine,
Over these dregs of wine.

I placed my trust in gold and wealth,
But then I lost all joy and health,
Both here and there the money roll'd,
And when I had it here, behold,
From there had fled the gold!

I placed my trust in women next,
But there in truth was sorely vex'd,
The False another portion sought,
The True with tediousness were fraught,
The Best could not be bought.

My trust in travels then I placed,
And left my native land in haste.
But not a single thing seem'd good,
The beds were bad, and strange the food,
And I not understood.

I placed my trust in rank and fame,
Another put me straight to shame,
And as I had been prominent,
All scowl'd upon me as I went,
I found not one content.

I placed my trust in war and fight,
We gain'd full many a triumph bright,
Into the foeman's land we cross'd,
We put our friends to equal cost,
And there a leg I lost.

My trust is placed in nothing now,
At my command the world must bow,
And as we've ended feast and strain,
The cup we'll to the bottom drain;
No dregs must there remain!

A self taught digital artist since the late 90s,
Dr. A. K. Khadem draws inspiration for his pieces from extensive study of human behavior gleaned from many years of travel on four continents. Born in the Middle East, he moved to France as a teenager where he studied philosophy, learned several languages and served in the military. Upon immigrating to the United States, he turned his focus to the study of the legal system and currently holds a law degree from Hofstra University as well as a Ph.D. degree from Australia with a specialization in maritime boundary delineation. Driven by a passion for art and a fascination with computer technology, he now works exclusively on creating and marketing Vanitas art from his studio on Long Island.

His work has been shown in several juried exhibitions in Long Island as well as across New York. He was recently featured in the
NEW YORK TIMES as one of the national exhibitors at Digital Long Island. In addition to receiving a recognition award from the Hopper House Art Center in Nyack, he also won the weathervane design contest in 2007 for the Carriage House in the Town of Riverhead. Some of his work has been published in Volume XII of New Art International - A Compendium of Recent Works by World Contemporary Artists and will be featured in Studio Visit Magazine in March 2008 as one of 300 winning contestants selected for the first edition of this publication.