Dutch-Iraqi artist, Nedim Kufi, with one of his works on show at the opening of his solo exhibition titled “Personal Dictionary” at Fire station Workshop 3 yesterday. Pic: Abdul Basit/The Peninsula
Dutch-Iraqi multimedia visual artist Nedim Kufi explores the creation of new meanings amid changing times in his solo exhibition titled “Personal Dictionary” which opened yesterday at the Fire Station. The exhibition, which runs until March 14, presents Kufi’s identity as an artist and writer.
In this exhibition, the artist is influenced by chaos and the curiosity it evokes; this concept is portrayed through categorical and formulaic de-layering of time, while also showing the opposing elements of finding harmony through personal definitions.
“It is a new dictionary of my own. I am kind of rethinking about the original meaning and new meaning especially with the new century and new circumstances, that everything turns into another phase, another composition,” he told reporters about the exhibition during its launch yesterday at Fire Station Workshop 3.
The exhibited works include large multicultural and monochromatic pieces representing the East and West, as well as famous figures from Arab literature and sculptural installations examining the refractions of words.
Language is a key element in Kufi’s practice, where his work finds intersections and invisible messages. The presented works show Kufi’s experimentation with language and the creation of meaning by manipulating words through non-representational playful forms. New terms created through his visual language offer alternative translations and new readings.
“We are very excited to display the art of a highly experienced artist such as Nedim Kufi. His work highlights the way images can create a language and how art is always up to interpretation. We hope his exhibition will spark creativity and inspiration for local artists – which is at the heart of the Fire Station,” Dr. Bahaa Abudaya, Curator of Contemporary Art at Qatar Museums, said in a statement.
Kufi has featured in more than 20 solo exhibitions across the Middle East, United States and Europe, in addition to group exhibitions. Bringing nature together is at the core of his art and explores the complex relationships between perceptions, imaginations and expressions.
The exhibition is open for public viewing during the gallery’s opening hours from Saturdays to Thursdays from 9am until 7pm and on Fridays from 1.30 pm until 7pm.
