The 12th edition of the annual “Lasting Impressions” series of exhibitions featuring the works of renowned Iraqi-Kurdish artist Ismail Khayat opened on October 5 and will be open until November 27 at the Sharjah Museum of Art.
Sheikh Salem bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Office of the Ruler of Sharjah, opened the exhibition in the presence of Aamad Abdulhameed, Iraqi Consul General, Manal Ataya, Director General of the Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA), and the artist’s wife Gaziza Omer and his son Hayyas Khayat.
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The exhibition features more than 130 works by Khayat, including “A Sad Face”, “Thoughts of a Person”, “Birds and a Woman” and “The Kurdish People”.
Born in 1944 in Khanaqin, Kurdistan, Khayat, widely known as the “Picasso of Iraq”, “the man of stone” and the “grandfather of Kurdish art”, is considered one of the founders of the Kurdish art scene.
Over the course of his career spanning six decades, Khayat has drawn inspiration from his surroundings and Kurdish folklore and symbolism, to produce an art portfolio that includes over 4,000 paintings and over 3,000 stone paintings. and for initiating the art movement of Iraqi Kurdistan while also serving as supervisor of the Sulaymaniyah art schools in Iraq, lecturer at the American University of Iraq, Sulaymaniyah (AUIS) and director of fine arts at the Ministry of the Culture of Kurdistan.
The artist has used a variety of techniques and mediums including ink, watercolour, charcoal, colored pencils, oil colors on paper, wood and fabrics.
“Khayat’s distinctive style plays a vital role in his ability to use his artistic expression as a means of channeling socio-political topics while amplifying the importance of the arts in self-expression and rallying communities to overcome challenges to the world. improving their societies,” Manal said. Ataya, CEO of SMA,
The “Lasting Impressions” series aims to foster knowledge and raise awareness of art, featuring leading Arab artists who have contributed to the development of art in the Arab world and left a lasting mark. on his stage.
“The exhibition is in line with Sharjah’s mission and that of the Sharjah Museums Authority to present to the public the distinguished works of artists from the Arab region and to further promote the multifaceted learning power of museums that inform and inspire creativity through unique experiences,” Ataya added.
In order to instill a love of the arts in various segments of the community, the SMA is also organizing a series of activities alongside the exhibition, including the “Patterns and Colors” workshop for high school students. The activity includes a tour of the exhibit to inspire students as they engage in designing and printing a colorful pattern on a bag.
The “Sustainable Impressions” series of exhibitions was first launched in 2010, and in previous editions, works by many well-known artists have been featured, including works by Baya Maheddine, Abdulqader Al Rais, Najat Mekky, George Bahgoury, Adam Henein, Noor Ali, Rashid, Thuraya Al Baqsami, Ismail Shammout and Tamam El Akhal among others.
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