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Iraqi masterpieces find home in Dubai

DUBAI — It was an exhibition meant to express the sentiments of an embattled nation.

Paintings of some contemporary Iraqi artists were on display at the exhibition being held from October 12 at Holiday Centre Mall lobby, Crowne Plaza on the Shaikh Zayed Road.

The paintings, which came a long way from the art market of Baghdad, represent an emerging wave of contemporary Islamic art.

“Famous Iraqi artists of Baghdad have found a new home in the Middle East as we introduce their works to the cosmopolitan art culture in Dubai,” gallery owner Anan Burhan Elbin Sulaiman said.

The Holiday Centre Mall is displaying the collection of Islamic paintings as part of its programme during the holy month of Ramadan.

Works of other artists such as Emad Altaay, and Mote Eljomayle will also be on display until October 24.

“We have a good number of art works by Iraq’s famous painter Ali Ghani who has fused Islamic calligraphy in his paintings. He is a well-known artist exhibiting his works throughout the Middle East since 1995,” Sulaiman of Anan Gallery said.

The abundance of galleries has paved the way for emerging artists to showcase their works in Dubai’s booming art circle.

“Arab and Islamic paintings have been exhibited and appreciated in many parts of the Western culture. It is high time they found a home within the region. Art appreciation in Dubai is growing and collectors have always sought works that effectively communicate the human spirit,” added Sulaiman.

Sulaiman, an Iraqi national, said, “Dubai is a perfect home for these paintings and we found the right place here at Holiday Centre. The Iraqi people’s proud history and their zest for life is represented in these paintings.”