Black and white…. Reality simulation in the exhibition of plastic artist Eyad Al-Belal

In times of war, art in its various forms becomes preoccupied with the devastation, destruction and difficult circumstances that happen. It depicts its horror and effects on the psychological and physical levels, as it embodies, sincerely, its fears and nightmares.

The Artists Union Gallery is currently hosting the various paintings and artworks of the artist Eyad Al-Bilal, in an exhibition under the title White…Black, Songs of War … Love … Death.

Talking about  adopting the contrast of black and white, which constitutes a new artistic achievement in the contemporary plastic art arena, Al-Belal said to the Syria times e-newspaper,” The exhibition this time, and unlike all my previous exhibitions,as most of the work is done in black and white. Today I present  photographic work that approaches black graphics, which plastic academics usually advise not to use, but I found that it is the master of colors, especially when it expresses joy. I adopted this formula for two reasons, firstly, my desire to complete studies of black and white to be later sculptures. The second reason is a response to destruction, fires, killing and war that our country had experienced”.

“The two colors express scenes of war and the contrast of death and victory. The funerary scenes and the weddings or spiritual scenes. They are also a reflection of Homs with its black stones and the white hearts of its inhabitants,” he added.

Regarding the subjects that he chose for his paintings, Bilal explains, “topics and ideas varied, but the human being remained the basic in most works. I relied on highlighting human gatherings, which appeared in many cases, such as music and weddings, open arches towards the sky, squares of death and butterflies that signify the female and their relationship to light. In fact, these works are an introduction to a monumental mural work of the historical epic of Gilgamesh with a contemporary vision.

In response to a question about whether the Syrian plastic art has reached a global stage,  Al-Bilal said, “there are Syrian experiences that bear the features of globalism. I believe that universality is that you represent your heritage and reflect it in a contemporary spirit, and there are many ways for that. Therefore, I strive to answer my big and important question that I discuss with all contemporary Syrian plastic artists, which is “How do we reproduce the identity of contemporary Syrian plastic art away from western art schools in an oriental and style that includes  the Syrian heritage”.

About his message as an artist through this exhibition, Al-Belal shows, “I wanted to say that hope grows from the ashes of fires and greenery grows after great destruction.

There is always hope for a new life. No limits to the life that started from eternity and continues to infinity. War, as well as fire, takes what is on the ground, but what the ground carries inside it will remain, and so will the seeds of life, as long as man remains.

I also wanted this exhibition to be a gift to creative personalities who had a deep impact on society, as cities are rising and developing with their true creators and honorable people”, Al-Belal concluded.

About 55 artworks in addition to three sculptures are on display in the exhibition, which will continue until the end of the week.

It is noteworthy that the artist Al-Bilal was born in Homs; in the village of Shairat in 1972 .He is a member of the Syrian Plastic Artists Union. He was a teacher at the Institute of Applied Arts, Department of Sculpture, in Damascus.

He participated in many individual and group exhibitions inside and outside Syria. He has six memorials, 20 huge stone works, and hundreds of plastic studies.

Interviewed by: Amal Farhat