The
Plastic Artist Thamer Dawood
An academic
Plastic Artist with philosophical identity, moving
always between the showing of history and creating its
positive qualities, blending the past and its lineage
and rules with the basket of his dreams which he has
drawn to his fellow compatriots to be out of the
bottlenecks of despair, which effectively translates
intimate personal stories of Mesopotamian civilization
with its Ishtarial beauties and imaginations using the
alphabetical serial as a tool of the reality of
inevitable event .
His 2006 exhibition in Darbounah Hall in Amman was his
latest activity, which was preceded by two shows one of
which was in Baghdad in 1986, and the other in the same
Darbounah gallery in Amman.
His next project (Bridge of Hope) would be in Delaware
in the united stated, in order to participate in the
color carnival, which expresses the sorrows and agony of
his follow citizens, and while visiting his personal
exhibition in Amman; we have made with him the following
dialogue.
Q. Artist Dawood, Can you describe for us the General
mood of your third personal achievement and the
labyrinth of your sensual interactions between color and
the eye of the onlooker.
A. My third Personal exhibitions in Darbounah Hall -
Amman, came without any title, and I have left open
spaces for the recipient, he who decides and identifies
the trends of circulated works. The exhibition included
fourteen big size paintings ranging between 180 × 180
cm. And 90 × 90 centimeters.
The exhibition has shown symbols from Iraqi historical
figures through successive generations. Most of the
works resemble mini stories of the ancient Iraq
Mesopotamian civilization and under the Ishtarial and
Tamozian symbols. This desire to extrapolate the past
according to the agenda of the present re-links us to
the real realities throughout the generations.
The love of Ishtar and Tammoz (mythical Iraqi God) in
the innermost parts of the souls searches for his lost
intimate one amid the vanishing bonds of our ever
cohesive time. Because we are people who love life, we
deal with love: its sadness and its Joy, and with our
other life battles with their diversified and
extravagant radiations. Therefore as an artist
performing my mission at this difficult time, it was
essential for me to compile, check and shed light on the
historical secrets so that the present agent will
fulfill their intermarriage with the past agendas in the
middle of this everlasting duet
Q. There are encrypted languages on the body of the
paintings, but with poetic expressions, how did you
exploit that?
A. It is true that I have invested legend poem on the
principle of symbol with special character, and has
symbolized by a (daughter of Sergon) which simulates a
perimeter forced pain, saying, (I carried the basket of
liturgy to the goddess Anana while singing, but now I am
no longer in the comfortable place that I established
for me. If day light comes I suffer from the burning
sun, and if night falls I feel the breeze of southern
wind and everything that delights me will change into
earth.) I have dismantled this poetic Sumerian language
into coming imagination and with it came the Iraqi
Melody and began analyzing the days and evening darkness
hoping to reach together into concrete solution for our
good people who are desperate, but without this
desperate and permanent adhesion through my announcement
for the beginning opening presentation.
Q. Are these two paintings the Pivotal points which
attract observers to your tales of color, which are
filled with history?
A. I explained the itinerary function where the story
begins not on the wall of the serial presentation, which
I made. These fourteen works are a complete chain for a
civilization extending for 6000 years, but their tales
are closer to our daily practices, I explained the
itinerary function where the story begins.
As a Plastic Artist, I experience the feelings and all
changes taking place in my own country that make me
paint with full willingness to be closer to my family
and innocent individuals and stretches across their
roots and do my utmost through my brush, colors and
imagination throughout these eras.
Q: So, as long as history is the source of the declared
themes of your subjects, why didn’t you give your
artistic project a specific title or function?
A. In this exhibition, I wanted to break the monotony
and prevailing traditions by putting the observer
directly in front of the artistic product, so it would
be an open and direct lesson. The recipient has to
discover through these spaces and should have the total
freedom to make his own conclusions regarding the
identity and heritage of our country for the future,
which must flourish again due to the civilized and
humane qualities, which are hardly evident in another
civilization.
Q. We have known you as academic in your paintings, are
there unfamiliar corridors in yours third exhibition?
A. I have worked under the spirit of the Sumerians and
adopted the relief painting, but there are only two
paintings which are realistic in content and symbolic
and directly tell the sad reality of our present
journey, a mix between blackness and the color of blood,
and the smell of free death which my fellow townspeople
smell day and night. And the unfamiliar is to puncture
intentionally a hole in these two paintings to cultivate
a place for future joy, and this deliberate movement was
a first step for the exhibition visitors to complete
what I have started, to tear stages of agonies, to fade
under our fingers the black scene and sorrow to
disappear in this dark color when we draw by our fingers
the march of humanity which is full of peace and lasting
joy.
Q. Is there another project after your latest
achievements?
A. My new project is to participate in an artistic
exhibition with a team of Iraqi and American artists
under the title (Bridge of Hope), which will be held in
the State of Delaware early next month. Four other Iraqi
plastic Artists will join me in this exhibition (Serwan
Baran, Lamia Al-Talabani, Fadil Al Dabag, Dulair Saad
Shaker, Goran Al Zande, Usama Hussan). Other
participants will be American.
The purpose of this exhibition is to highlight the
suffering of the Iraqi people from the ravages and
devastation, which they do not deserve since it, is a
noble and ancient nation and a founder of human
civilizations.
I have completed my three paintings, and I will
participate in this important Carnival if God wishes.
Dar
AlDustour Iraq
March 10, 2008
Dialogue, Qais Al-Dhahi,
