Artist Wa’el Hilal’s sculptures convey Syrian creative messages to the UAE

Various woodcarvings showing Syria’s nobility and beauty were carried by the artist Wa’el Hilal to the UAE to participate in the “Ishraqat 2022” exhibition.

The artist is born in an environment and the homeland, which is the most precious we have.

He told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA): “We translate the love that flows in our blood creatively….My homeland has a long history full of life and  my message as a Syrian artist has been translated by my sculptural works embodying beauty in our human and historical existence.”

Hilal recently participated in the “Ishraqat 2022” exhibition being held in Dubai with a group of Arab artists through eight wooden sculptures that emulate many humanitarian situations, including nostalgia, pain, and joy.

 Concerning the importance of participation in the exhibition, the artist Hilal pointed out that it is a valuable and important experience, and he has the honor to show his works in the UAE upon an invitation from the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation and ” the Spirit of Art” Group.

Hilal believes that the artist’s participation outside his homeland is an opportunity to convey his culture and works and to introduce the civilization and history of his land, as well as its role in shaping a new vision and style.

“This participation has inspired me with ideas for making three-dimensional artistic sculptures in giant sizes of stone, marble and wood materials to be  located in cultural centers, courtyards, and gardens as monumental works that interact with the Arabic language and calligraphy  where the passers-by and recipients are left with a visual component inspired by their culture,” he added.

Speaking about the mystery of his artistic talent, which he has developed in his life, Hilal said, “My research journey began since I was very young by watching icons created in nature, beings, and humans in everything around me. I looked for nucleus, composition, similarity, harmony, plants, nature, sea, mountains, and living beings, and I realized at that time that the mystery of this composition is the curved line.”

Hilal relied in his art on conveying the culture of sculpture to the recipient in a beautiful and pleasant visual language by turning hard surfaces into soft surfaces within  artistic abstract  lines that enjoy the heart and leave a deep impact. It is based on the balance between mass and space and a carefully studied projection of light on the surface of these work.

These details in Hilal’s works were the secret of his distinction, as he employs his  sightings, feelings, astonishment and passion for research to turn these complexities and questions into sculptural compositions.

Hilal, born in As-Suwayda in 1978. He is a member of the Plastic Artists Union. He has held individual exhibitions, including the “Buildex” exhibition in Syria, six courses, a group event such as the International Basalt Meeting in As-Suwayda and the Second Basalt Sculpture Exhibition. He also had a solo exhibition within the activities of the International Building Exhibition (Buildex) in Damascus Exhibitions City in June 2019 under the title “Harmony.”

Amal Farhat