ID :
256101
Sun, 09/23/2012 - 10:07
Auther :

Katara Hosts Expo on Works by Sudanese Artist Ibrahim El-Salahi

Doha, September 22 (QNA) - In collaboration with the Museum for African Art, New York, Katara, the Cultural Village Foundation, will bring to Doha Ibrahim El-Salahi: A Visionary Modernist, the first museum retrospective of acclaimed Sudanese artist Ibrahim El-Salahi. The exhibition will open at 7:00 pm on Thursday 4th October in Gallery 22, Katara, and will run until Tuesday 27th November 2012. Including approximately 80 works encompassing over five decades of the artist s career, this retrospective highlights drawings and paintings from international institutions and private collections. A Visionary Modernist follows work produced during El-Salahi's travels and ongoing spiritual journey. Commenting on the occasion, Ibrahim El-Salahi states, "I have arrived at the conclusion that the work of art is but a springboard for the individual intellect, acting as a mirror reflecting our desires and ambitions. The picture floats freely within the realm of a simple relationship between the viewer and the subject, encouraging visual meditation and better self knowledge." He continued, "I am delighted to collaborate with Katara, the Cultural Village." Sa'id Costa, Curator of Visual Arts Exhibitions and Educational Programs said, "The retrospective explores several themes which El-Salahi illustrates through his use of color, texture, and variations. His artworks represent the spiritual journey he embarked upon from the Middle East, to Africa and through Europe which has resulted in this inspiring collection of works. Katara is committed to cultivating a creative atmosphere by providing world class artists with a platform to showcase their artistic abilities and in turn stimulating creativity amongst the youth of Qatar. Katara is fast becoming the epicenter for arts and culture in the GCC." A Visionary Modernist begins with paintings from the periods before, during, and immediately following El-Salahi s time at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art at University College, London, in 1954. This was a time of self-discovery as well as an introduction to other world cultures and artistic practices. Inspired by art ranging from Ancient Islam, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance, to Modernists such as Cezanne, Pissarro, and Seurat, El-Salahi began to incorporate various visual techniques into his work. The exhibition continues with work made upon El-Salahi s return to Sudan in 1957 and the years that followed. A Visionary Modernist concludes with paintings and drawings produced after El-Salahi's return to Oxford, England, in 1998, to the present day, a period that represents the culmination of the artist s experiences and career. The exhibition A Visionary Modernist opened in United Arab Emirates on March 20, 2012 at the Sharjah Art Museum. The exhibition is guest curated by Dr. Salah M. Hassan, professor of African and African diaspora art history and visual culture at Cornell University. A Visionary Modernist is supported, in part, by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Additional support has been provided by the Sharjah Art Museum. The exhibition catalogue is published with the assistance of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development and the Getty Foundation. Ibrahim El-Salahi: A Visionary Modernist is organized by the Museum for African Art and will be a featured exhibition in the Museum s new building on New York's famous Museum Mile. (END)

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