ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Contemporary Art Platform 2018 opened its doors on Wednesday to showcase new work by local and international artists at the Media Hall in Erbil.

The exhibition took place in two different halls, one featuring three solo exhibitions and the other presenting the work of 20 artists from across the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and England.

“We hope to continue showing modern art in Erbil,” Hawkar Rskin, curator of the exhibition, told Rudaw English.

Rskin himself showcased his newest work, “Children’s Life in Barcodes,” which represents the suffering of Kurdish people through war and genocide.

Two of the solo exhibitions included the work of Kurdish artists Raouf al-Attar, with his collection “Cities,” and Salih al-Nagar, with his collection named “Face in the Face.”

Rskin said modern art is a new concept for Kurdistan and hopes to inspire more artists to submit work to future exhibitions in Erbil, pursuing the contemporary style rather than classical art forms.

He has been an artist for 20 years and curated his first modern arts exhibition in January to introduce new techniques and art forms to the Kurdish community and aspiring young art students. 

Rskin is also the owner of Shanidar Gallery in Erbil, the first permanent art gallery in Kurdistan which opened its doors in 2009.

The Kurdistan Contemporary Art Platform exhibition, sponsored by the Hawkar Group Kurdish Art & Culture Bridge, will run through Thursday, open to the public from 5pm to 7pm free of charge at the Media Hall in Erbil.

 

Photos: A.C. Robinson