DOHA: Works of acclaimed Iraqi-Canadian contemporary artist Mahmoud Obaidi are featured at his first solo exhibition in Doha which opened yesterday at the Katara Art Center (KAC).
Under the patronage of Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani, the expo features a collection of objects imbued with political significance that reflect Obaidi’s signature approach which balances dark humour and reflections on universal and specific references to war and violence.
The sword, the archetypal symbol for war, power and violence, becomes an object of contemplation and play for Obaidi, who transforms them into domestic objects or other distorted, confused forms in jarring and sometimes absurd ways. The transformation renders the creations harmless objects of violence and allows for reading into the history and means of violence.
“Contrary to his previous approach of showing the end result of violence, Obaidi explores the source, questioning how one can address and speak of this topic (violence) while attempting to understand its substance,” says KAC Artistic Director and Curator Mayssa Fattouh. A book has been published by KAC featuring an interview with Obaidi and photographs of the exhibited, previous, and future projects. The expo runs until November 9. The Peninsula
