Ala bashir

Art should stimulate.

Cursed in earth and subdued by death, man found himself beset by time, and his instincts put to the test. Only then, he realized that with love he could survive, and that for a certain purpose he would toil. For those whom my love can not immune from death, are dedicated these paintings, in the hope they may express in drawing the reality of a resonant mind.

Everyday hundreds of people came to the hospital... dying, and I have to introduce life into them again... my duty was to compete with death.

As a painter, I realized that what we see is just manifestation of unseen power. Since then [1958 Coup in Iraq], reality started to take another form in my mind. Hence, I was aware of deception of our senses.

I have to display what I have seen to people.

Drawing is like the first kiss. It carries within it the deepest emotion and the challenge of the first step. It is the first cry after birth

Darkness is where we begin and where we end. We don't usually see light traveling in darkness of space because we only can see its reflection on substance.

I discovered that the most dangerous mask is the one worn by intelligent people because they are clever at their disguise.

Life is the journey between darkness of the womb and darkness of the grave.

The truth is far beyond what we can see. Therefore my art is an invitation to comprehend this fact.

Early on in my life I comprehended that death is the most tragic event in our life. Events of early Monday July 14, 1958 [Coup in Iraq] had convinced me that hate is the most destructive force in our life.

I think we need a huge dose of love.

Author details

Ala Bashir: Biography and Life Work

Ala Bashir was a notable Iraqi painter.

Ala Bashir ( Arabic : علاء بشير ) is an Iraqi painter, sculptor and plastic surgeon who has exhibited widely and is noted for his portrayals of the human condition .

Legacy and Personal Influence

Historically, their work is best remembered for Painter, sculptor and plastic-surgeon.

Philosophical Views and Reflections

His works of art have been shown in several international exhibitions in, for example, France (Paris, Cagnes-sur-Mer), the United Kingdom (London), Ireland (Dublin), Austria (Vienna), Germany (Bonn), Yugoslavia (Belgrade), Italy (Rome), Russia (Moscow), Qatar (Doha), Morocco (Rabat), Libya (Tripoli), India (New Delhi), Tunisia (Tunis), Egypt (Cairo), the United States (New York, 1976 American tour), Iraq (Baghdad) and currently at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore-USA. Ala Bashir earned many national and international awards, among which are the Gold Medal in the Biennale International Exhibition in Baghdad in 1988, the second prize in the International Poster Exhibition in Paris in 1983 and Iraq's highest State Award for Fine Art in 2003.

Bashir designed two historically important monuments in Baghdad: "The Union", a statue (73 feet high, made of stone, weighing 970 tons), depicting the love between man and woman. This monument was destroyed by the Iraqi Authority in February 2010. The other is "The Cry", a statue (27 feet high, made of bronze) depicting the tragedy of the Amiyria shelter, where 400 women and children were killed by an air strike in February 1991 during the First Gulf War—the monument is located close to the shelter.

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Inspire · Reflect · Repeat