Iranian artist Siamak Azmi (left) explains one of his paintings to Katara General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti (third right) as other guests look on.
The increasingly commodified human life is portrayed through paintings depicting massive piles of dolls by Iranian artist Siamak Azmi known for blending philosophy and art in his works.
Titled “The Dolls Exhibition”, showcase of 11 paintings conveys complex truths of human existence. It looks at the world as an auction which degrades the value of human beings as worth no more than dolls. It also highlights human life that has become mechanical, repetitive and defined by the products people consume or seek to acquire.
“The images capture the neglect the contemporary human being faces, starting from intellectual attacks to political attacks through to media attacks, forcing us to drift away from true aspirations,” said Azmi at opening of his solo show at Cultural Village Foundation-Katara yesterday.
The canvases are all filled with images of dolls, which, though depicted in bright colours, wear the same outfits and facial expressions as people concealing their real selves and emotions in a pretentious world.
Hidden somewhere in the big canvases are words like peace and freedom which are deemed elusive to find and achieve in today’s world.
“The exhibition displays unique paintings reflecting a realistic scenery of contemporary humans, using an innovative technique. ‘The Dolls Exhibition’ adds to the series of exhibitions that Katara stages for international artists, with the aim of opening up to other cultures and sharing different experiences. This exhibition of the Iranian artist Siamak Azmi is worth a visit,” said Katara General Manager Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, who opened the exhibition in the presence of diplomats and local media.
Born in 1972, Azmi finished a degree in Geology, started painting in 1990 and two years after began venturing into teaching Fine Arts. He has featured in more than 70 exhibitions in various cities of his native country Iran. His unique works have also brought him to various countries around the world including Turkmenistan, China, Italy, Turkey, the UAE, France and Qatar.
The exhibition is scheduled to run until March 30 from 10am to 10pm, at Katara Building 22, Gallery 2.
