Khan As’aad Pasha in Old Damascus today hosted the annual Autumn Exhibition, which included dozens of contemporary artistic visions created by 150 plastic artists representing several generations and reflecting various styles, contents and schools of art.
The techniques of the works participating in the exhibition, which was held within the activities of the Syrian Plastic Art Days, varied between oil painting, graphics and sculpture in addition to experimental works that deal with topics about women, the silent nature and Arabic calligraphy in different sizes and techniques.
The Minister of Culture, Dr. Loubana Mouchaweh praised the magnificence of the works participating in the exhibition, highlighting the creativity of both veteran and young artists, calling on the culture and art-loving audience to visit the exhibition and enrich their aesthetic taste and to acquire artworks in order to encourage artists to continue their artistic march.
Director of fine arts, the sculptor Emad Kasshut, said in a statement to SANA, “The Autumn Fair is an annual event that has not stopped throughout the years of the war. It is getting more and more diverse every year. This year it is held within the activities of the “Plastic Arts Days”, as we tried to select the most important works among those submitted for participation”, stressing that the Ministry of Culture is the primary supporter of Syrian art and artist.
Plastic artist Maha Mahfouz, head of the Damascus branch of plastic artists, admired the various works of the exhibition, which constitute, as she said, a state of dialogue and gathering for several generations of artists and prove the ability of the Syrian artist to create despite the difficult circumstances.
The sculptor Ziad Qat’s participation in the exhibition represented by a work made of walnut wood, embodying effects and feelings about will through a modification of the phoenix, which rises from the ashes, pointing out that he does not adhere to a certain style, but rather appends on his sense in his sculptural works.
The plastic artist Osama Diab presented a large-sized work that bears many contradictions, relying on gray, black and gold, forming a dramatic case related to the human and social aspect.
Plastic artist Ruba Qarqout indicated that participation in the Autumn Exhibition is important due to the participation of prominent and influential plastic artists in the Syrian formation.
Artist, Leila Razzouk, presented a painting inspired by the fires that occurred in the Syrian forests in which she imagined the trees as people asking for help.
As for the painting of the plastic artist Bashir Bashir, it is part of his usual style of letters, as an abstract artistic case of the Damascene oriental heritage.
In his painting entitled “Hadith Al-Madeena”, plastic artist Mohamed Al-Rakou’i portrays Syria, which today is in a state of recovery emerging from the war, indicating that he is presenting his painting as a gift to the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons.
The sculptor Waddah Salameh participated in a large sculpture that represented a flying eagle entitled “Control”.
He said, “I represented the control that exists in life, summarizing it with a metallic formation of a bird with a natural bone to highlight the horror of this state on the viewer.”
Amal Farhat