Shegani

Mr. Ashti Mahdi Mohammad Shegani (19-1-65) is an Iraqi-Kurd, who lived in Iraq before the Gulf War. He is a painter and journalist like his father and granfather. He studied at the Academy of Arts in Suleymania Iraq He lived in Baghdad and Kirkuk. His critics on the goverment and his art exhibitions caused imprisonment for several months several times. He showed paintings of a tortured woman.
After being released from prison he secretly had exhibitions in Northern Iraq, which forced him to change adress many times. During the Gulf War he fled to Northern Iraq, Kurdic territory and started lessons at the Kurdic
Academy of Arts He went to Damascus to be safe and he had also exhibitions there.
"New colours with special colours are coming down from the mountains" as Syrian newspapers wrote.
On invitation of the Dutch Government and with the help of UN he came to Holland in 1996 with wife and 2 children.
Both in Iraq and Syria he was very successful as an panter and journalist..

In Holland he participated in several exhibitions. His work is very attractive because of the colours and design used.
He is a personal friend.

AS02,plaster on a wood panel with small frame.

AS03,plastics (polyester) on wood panel with small frame

AS04,clay on wood panel with small frame

AS05,clay on wood panel with small frame

AS07,clay on wood panel with small frame

AS08,clay on wood panel with small frame

AS10,clay on wood panel with small frame

AS11,acrylic on (thick) paper no frame

AS13/AS15 acrylic on (thick) paper no frame

All sculptures are firmly fixed to the background.

His work is a combination of painting (background) and sculpture (other material, like clay, plaster, plastics acryl) in a traditional kurdic warm colours and refering to kurdic culture.

AS02 Ashori refers to Queen Ashori (15th century) of Iraq. She was a key figure of Iraqi culture and history. The figures on her dress are the alphabet she invented.

AS03 translation of traditional kurdic music into paint and sculpture in the form of a flute player.

AS04 a surrealistic view on everydays life in Kurdistan

AS05 reflects the education in Kurdistan. Your head is not free and depressed by a regime, your thoughts are free and in one's dream one is free to travel everywhere you want.

AS07 Dance or Ballet. Two persons are one in a ballet, dance

AS08 End of a century. Another century has ended and still old treasures of Ashori Queen should be kept well.

AS10 Like farmers bound to their land, so is the iraqi (kurdic) people victim of a scrupulous regime and are bound by that regime to their own country. The figure is chained to the background and can't fly.

AS11 surrealistic view on Kurdic women in traditional clothes.