The works of Ismail Khayat, regarded by admirers and critics as the “grandfather of Kurdish art,” will be on display in Sharjah starting the next month.
The well-known Iraqi-Kurdish artist’s work will be examined and illuminated in the 12th instalment of Sharjah Museums Authority’s Lasting Impressions exhibition series. Between October 4 and November 27, the exhibition, which will feature more than 100 works, will be on display at the museum.
One of the pioneers of the Kurdish art movement, Khayat uses a variety of media to illustrate concepts and stories about group struggle, political exclusion, and pleas for peace, as well as other important themes and subjects that piqued his attention.
Khayat’s legacy is complex and worth exploring, from his impact on Iraqi art’s environment to his research of subjects related to his native country to his contributions to the Kurdish art scene and his initiatives to advance the region’s arts education.
SMA first introduced the Lasting Impressions series in 2010 to honour the accomplishments and careers of notable and significant Arab artists.
Baya Mahieddine, an Algerian artist who had a significant influence on Pablo Picasso, George Bahgoury, an Egyptian-French artist, Ismail Shammout, a Palestinian artist and art historian, and Abdul Qader Al Rais and Najat Meky, two Emirati artists, were among the artists whose work was on display in the museum’s previous exhibitions.
