“Oblivion” exhibition by Iraqi Artist Ala Bashir, organized by the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation,  has kicked off on Wednesday evening, February 8, 2023 at the Exhibition Hall of Al Owais Cultural Foundation in Rigga street, Deira Dubai. The exhibition will run until February 12, 2023.

The opening ceremony was attended by HE Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, Dr. Sulaiman Mousa Al Jassim, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation; Board members novelist Abdul Ghaffar Hussein and Dr. Fatima Al Sayegh as well as a wide audience of artists, intellectuals, media  and public personalities.

Speaking at the event, Artist Ala Bashir gave a brief introduction about the nature of surrealist artworks and abstract lines, which evoked a lively and fruitful discussion with the audience. Visitors took a tour of the exhibition, which showcased 24 artworks of various sizes and proportions that represent different phases of Bashir’s artistic journey spanning over half a century, in which he produced hundreds of artworks that are currently on display in many museums around the world.

After the comprehensive tour of the exhibition, artist Ala Bashir gave a lecture on his artistic career and his vision of plastic art and how it has evolved over the years since he began his journey in the 1950s and until today, when he is recognized as one of the pioneers of the Iraqi plastic art movement with a distinct artistic style.

Moreover, artist Iyad Al Mousawi, who also spoke at the event said that Ala Bashir is known for his unique surrealist artistic style, which has not been influenced by any Western art movements or techniques. According to Al Mousawi, Bashir has developed his own style in depicting the scene and taking the onlooker to the core of his idea without distraction from decoration either through color or design. His terse use of color reflects the attention he pays to conveying his ideas and the pressing questions he poses.

Following Bashir’s lecture, the audience had the chance to ask him many questions about the displayed artworks and about his artistic experience and how it intersects with his professional experience as he is known to be one of the most skilled Arab plastic surgeons, with a long career in this field that runs parallel to art in terms of aesthetics and the energy it inspires.

At the conclusion of this exquisite event, HE Mohammed Al Murr presented Al Owais Commemorative Shield to artist Ala Bashir, in the presence of Dr. Sulaiman Mousa Al Jassim, novelist Abdul Ghaffar Hussein and Dr. Fatima Al Sayegh, and thanked him for the great efforts he has made to establish aesthetic values in society. In turn, artist Ala Bashir thanked the Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation for giving him the opportunity to present his work to an appreciative and supportive audience that champions culture and art.

It is worth mentioning that artist Ala Bashir was born in Iraq in 1939.  He studied at the Institute of Fine Arts, Baghdad, Iraq, obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the Iraqi College of Medicine (MBCHB), and was granted a Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, UK (FRCSEd). He took part in more than 50 group and solo exhibitions around the world and his artworks have been acquired by many museums in the UK, France, the United States, Qatar, Jordan and Iraq. He also received many awards from various countries.