Mohammed Quraish

The artist Quraish was born in 1966 in Iraq. Shortly after finishing his education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad, in 1994, Quraish had to leave his home country. The artist gets his inspiration from the ancient myths that are told from generation to generation and are therefore still alive. He translates them to a personal, modern and abstract style.

Inspiration

The mosaic decorations in the old temples of Babylon are a great inspiration for the artist. He plays with designs and gives them a new life. Partly because of the bright colour combinations it relates to a dream world. The viewer is carried into an exciting world, a mystery drawn from the cultural history of Iraq. For Quraish the primitive world is much more interesting than our realistic world; it inspires Quraish to search for the work of his primitive ancestors. Giving the visual fragments of his wood carvings, decorations and symbols, the artwork shows that it refers to his African ancestors. Due to all these symbols, the artist creates a new standard of poetic abstraction.

Technique and material

Quraish uses different techniques to get the result he wants. In addition to a refined technique he applies several materials such as metal, paper and glue. He uses elements as oil, acrylic paint and even corrosion to give the work a finishing touch. For a more antique and transparent colour the artist uses watercolour.  

In 1992 Quraish already had a solo exhibition in Spain. Shows in Iraq, Tunisia, Netherlands, France and Germany followed.