Arabian Hybrids is an experimental body of work in which Christian Hook merges ancient equestrian iconography with modern technology and his own deeply personal emotional journey. The series builds on his long-standing fascination with Arabian horses, first explored in the Sahara Collection (2020) and developed further through his "Hybrid" forms, a term that reflects his method of blending traditional painting with digital tools.
The origins of the series lie in Hook's travels through Egypt, where he was captivated by the Arabian horse and the sensory richness of the desert landscape. In an unusual creative collaboration, he worked with a synesthete to translate the scents of Cairo's spice markets into a colour palette, applying these as specific patches of colour across the canvases — a bridge between the scientific and the sensory.
The technical process begins digitally. Hook sketches his subjects on the iPad, drawing from his remarkable pictorial memory without reference material, allowing forms to emerge intuitively through gesture and instinct. These digital drawings are then printed onto textured paper using gel mediums, before being worked over with traditional oils and mixed media on large-scale surfaces — pushing each image beyond representation into something more visceral and alive.
On a personal level, this series became a means of processing grief following a close bereavement. Hook has spoken of finding the digital sketching process creatively liberating during a difficult period — a way of allowing the subconscious to lead. The resulting works carry a quiet emotional weight beneath their rich, earthy palette of dusky browns, deep charcoals, and antique gold, layered against backgrounds that evoke ancient lands touched by time.
2025 · 12 works
Arabian Hybrids 1
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