Indigo on Green (1975) is exemplary of an unwavering commitment to form and process – repeatedly breaking down the structure of shapes to come to a resolved understanding. Parallels can be drawn between a looping structure of language found in his fictional writing and the arrangements he developed through painting. In his compositions, layered elements are distilled into an intensive exploration of geometric abstraction and pattern, built up mostly using just two simple forms: the square and the circle. Through extensive experimentation, he cultivated an outstanding formalist lexis. Shemza’s calligraphic abstraction is universalising - unmistakably repeating the shape of the Roman letters B and D with the fluid gesture of Arabic lettering, the artist states ‘my paintings are not only to look at but are also writings to be read.’