Iraqi Plastic Artist Mohammad Al-Saee [Archives:2001/31/Culture]

H.E. the Ambassador of Iraq to Yemen, Mr. Taha Al-Sabri inaugurated the fourth exhibition for the Iraqi plastic artist, Mohammed Al-Saee last week. 
The exhibition held at Al-Saeed Hall Center for Sciences and Culture in Taiz under the theme of “Dancing on the Banks of Agony” included 21 artistic works of engravings and paintings. Al-Saee studied Fine Arts in Baghdad University and organized his first exhibition in Baghdad in1986. His exhibition was in Libya in 1992 and this his third was held in the Cultural Center in Sana’a in 1999. Commenting on “Dancing on the Banks of the Agony” Al-Saee said that this exhibition expressed the agonies suffered by the Iraqi people. “My denotative expressions are a strong man in itself, whether he is a man or a woman. The man always tries to find something, or tries to revive something else. Sometimes he tries to scream and relax when he becomes extremely exhausted.” Al-Saee said.

Undoubtedly, all the paintings in the exhibition are surrealistic paintings except one painting, that is Al-Farasha “Butterfly”. It resembles a beautiful woman in a semi-dancing movement and a fascinating smile appearing on her face signifying happiness. “In my opinion, women represent the soul in relation to the body. Man without woman is like the body without soul. Concerning his artistic experiences, he said that he came across certain agonies which had great effect on the artist’s creativity. In relation to his assessment about the exhibition, Al-Saee said that the exhibition had a special place in his heart. It represents an outlet for expressing one’s feelings and thoughts using his own artistic tools. About the sanctions imposed on Iraq and its negative impact on Iraqi people, Al-Saee said that the sanctions imposed upon Iraq couldn’t deform the cultural and artistic identify of a nation who has been struggling for a long time. In brief, sanctions don’t harm or affect the creative aspects of the artist, but they help a lot in creating something special that has its own special meaning despite the bitterness that sanctions bring to the Iraqi people. Regarding the artistic movement in Yemen Al-Saee indicated that the plastic art movement in Yemen is lagging behind due to the neglect of the concerned authorities. 
In conclusion, the plastic art in the Arab world has a promising future if it is taken with great care and a sense of responsibility. 

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