by Raynald C Rivera
Casting realistic shadows out of virtually useless objects. Having done this for the last 20 years, Iraqi artist Abdullah Mamdouh has perfected shadow art and now he is in Qatar to amaze art enthusiasts with the mind-blowing shadows he creates.
With the lights on, they look like a normal pile of worthless objects destined to join other rubbish in the thrash bin but as the light is turned off and a spotlight intimates with the assemblage of objects, shadows are formed mimicking real things of beauty that please the eyes.
In a dark room at Souq Waqif Art Centre, Abdullah’s works come alive. They include Fanar and the Doha Skyline, which do not fail to impress every visitor to the gallery as empty perfume bottles, broken pencils, plastics, glass and other useless materials are used to create magnificent pieces of art.
“I started taking this kind of art seriously 20 years back, but my fascination with shadows began early as a child when I would create shadows I wanted to see using objects found in our house,” he recalls.
Back in Iraq where he was born, Abdullah has already created a huge body of artworks not only on shadow art but also painting – an art form he also loves. Later, he decided to move to the US where he worked with computers and until now, when he is not into art, he occupies himself with computers.
But now he is focusing more on his craft while he works in the field of graphic design at Souq Waqif Art Centre for more than a year now.
What is fascinating about Abdullah’s works is not simply the shadows projected, which are very close to reality, but the materials he chooses to use, which not only effectively go together with the light but surprises the beholder of the astounding effect which is totally different from the actual objects on pile.
He effectively manipulates these everyday objects to project incredible shadows and include more materials to create additional effect such as motion or luminosity.
“I used artificial fruits to create this silhouette of a woman’s head but I added plastic which moves when there’s wind. In the case of the Doha skyline I included some glasses to create glowing effect.”
It takes sheer imagination and visual taste to create shadow art. For beginners, this may take time but for Abdullah, it takes an hour or two to create one.
“It would normally take me one to two hours to assemble all the objects to create a piece and that includes testing the objects first,” he explains.
After years of creating various artworks, Abdullah has come up with his own technique which he would employ in Qatar as he works on a future project here.
A replica of the project serves as the centerpiece of Abdullah’s exhibition. It is a small portrait of the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
“But the actual size of this would be 100sqm to be created on one side of a building on which the sun shines,” he said.
The unique work of art is set to draw attention as the image would be seen only at a particular time of the day as it depends on light and shadow.
“This would depend on the angle of the sun. At 12 noon, for instance the image would show but after an hour, it would disappear,” he explained of the project which would entirely be made out of ceramic and aluminium materials.
The intriguing replica has already awakened curiousity among visitors to the gallery and some have already expressed interest.
He is also planning to create another huge artwork juxtaposing two images in one frame.
“When the sun shines at around 10am an image will be seen and the other would be seen after noontime so people would have to be at the place at a specific time to witness the transformation of images.”
For sure this art form would be enjoyed by many for its aesthetic quality which articulates art that is permanent yet temporary; the image is forever there but could only be seen in a fleeting moment.
Abdullah also shares his knowledge about art, having taught art back in Iraq and at present he also conducts workshops here.
His ‘light and shadow show’ can be seen every day from 9am till 10pm at Souq Waqif Arts Centre. It runs along with the recently opened Al Moases exhibition which features 30 individual paintings and 15 sculptures, inspired by the poetry of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed Al Thani, the founder of Qatar, open till the end of the year.
The Peninsula
