15-04-2025
Iraqi, Qatari Ministers of Culture attend the opening of the first Iraqi realism art exhibition
INA – BAGHDAD
As part of the Qatari-Iraqi Cultural Week, Minister of Culture Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani and his Qatari counterpart, Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, attended the First Iraqi Realism Exhibition at the General Arts Department Hall on Tuesday.
"The exhibition included insights into Iraqi reality and received significant artistic attention from both the artistic elite and the political elite, as evidenced by the Qatari delegation, headed by the Qatari Minister of Culture and the accompanying delegation, with the paintings participating in this exhibition," said the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Qasim Taher Al-Sudani, on the sidelines of the exhibition, to the Iraqi News Agency - INA.
He added, "Iraqi artists keep pace with changes in the visual arts and contribute to producing artworks that dazzle audiences and those interested in the arts. They are known, both Arab and international, for their ability to incorporate insights from Iraqi reality into their artwork."
In turn, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Fadhel Al-Badrani, told INA, "The first realistic exhibition, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities in this large hall affiliated with the Department of Public Arts, featured the participation of an elite group of visual artists. Its paintings were carefully selected to represent various artistic schools, but they all address the Iraqi story and national narrative from its various aspects."
He continued, "The paintings in the exhibition carried deep symbolism, embodying the features of the Iraqi land and the Iraqi people, both men and women. Even the horses on display were symbols of heroism, chivalry, and defiance in the face of adversity."
He noted that "the exhibition will continue for several days, and we hope it will achieve its mission of introducing visitors to the authenticity of Iraqi art, and to Baghdad and Mesopotamia as a source of authentic visual art in the region."
Meanwhile, Khalif Mahmoud, the head of the Nineveh Governorate branch of the Fine Artists Association, told INA, "Realism in art is a traditional framework in which many artists excel. It stems from the artist's endeavor to employ reality and blend it with imagination to produce realistic works that can be included within the framework of contemporary visual art endeavors."
He added, "There are those who excel in this field by conveying the image and adding to it in a way that preserves its spirit, blending it with an imagination that does not stray far from reality."
