Madhahar Nazar Gallery

Divided between two cultures, it has been two decades ago since I came from India back to Yemen. Yemen has always inspired me since 1985 especially the old city of Sanaa where I have been painting views and veiled women. The rich history and culture of Yemen allowed me to work with Queens and women of this beautiful country.

I studied arts in the “Government College of Art and Craft” in Calcutta and India remains my first love. I have been among the contemporary Indian artists who inspired me, for example, Ganesh Pyne, Ganesh Haloi, Sunil Das, M.F. Husain and many others. My paintings are influenced by the “Kolkutta Modern Art Group”.

There is still so much to do and I always feel that I am still at the beginning. I have worked with several mediums like oil, acrylic, mixed media and watercolour. I work as an eclectic artist and do not like to stick to one medium for a long time. Since Yemen has only a handful of artists and not much has been done here yet in Contemporary Art, I am working with different mediums and techniques to create varieties of artworks.
Women remain the major subject in my abstract compositions, sometimes combined with fragments from the old city of Sanaa.

Born: 1958, India.

Education:
1985: Diploma in Graphic Art from Government College of Arts & Craft, Calcutta (India)

Solo-Exhibitions:
1986: Solo-Exhibition, Sana´a (Yemen)
1988: Solo-Exhibition in Sana´a (Yemen)
1989: Solo-Exhibition in the Koninklik Tropen-Institute, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
1990: Solo-Exhibition in Heidelberg (Germany)
1991, 1992, 1993, 1994: Solo-Exhibition in the Gallery No.1, Sana´a (Yemen)
1995: Solo-Exhibition at the French Cultural Centre, Sana´a (Yemen)
1997: Solo-Exhibition titled “Reflections & Images”
1998: Solo-Exhibition at the Princeton Hotel, Dubai (UAE)
: Solo-Exhibition in Aichach (Germany)
2003: Solo-Exhibition at the German Foreign Ministry, Berlin (Germany)
: Solo-Exhibition in Oman
2006: Solo-Exhibition in Bahrain
2006: Solo-Exhibition in India

International Exhibitions:
1987: Graphic Exhibition in Cantia (Italy)
1992: Tenth Norske International Graphic Triennial, Frederikstad (Norway)
1995: First Arab Art Biennale (Syria)
1995, 1999, 2001, 2003: Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka (Bangladesh)
1997: Art & Dialogue (Marocco)
1998: Ninth Triennial (India)
: Trace, Paris (France)
1999, 2003, 2006: Triennale Graphic Miniatures, Paris (France)
2006: Miniature Art-Works Exhibition in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

Group-Exhibitions:
1990: Sana´a University Art Exhibition, Sana´a (Yemen)
1995: Contemporary Art Exhibition at the US-Embassy, Sana´a (Yemen)
1996: Art Exhibition at the Yemen Cultural Centre, Sana´a (Yemen)
: Halaqa-Festival Art Exhibition, Sana´a (Yemen)
1996, 1997: Three Man Show at the French Cultural Centre, Sana´a (Yemen)
1998: Four Man Show, Sana´a (Yemen)
2005: Exhibition of the Atelier-Group in Vienna (Austria)
: Exhibition of Atelier-Group in Abha (Saudi-Arabia)
: Atelier-Group-Exhibition together with Austrian artists, Sana´a (Yemen)

Workshops:
1985: Kavi Pranam Artist Camp, Calcutta (India)
2001: Workshop with the Australian artist George Gietos at the French Cultural Centre, Sana´a (Yemen)
2002: Workshop in Dhaka (Bangladesh)
2003: Workshop with French and German artists in cooperation with the Atelier- Group, Sana´a (Yemen)
2004: Italian-Yemeni Workshop, Atelier Sana´a (Yemen)
: Mural-Workshop for the Ministry of Population, Sana´a (Yemen)
2005: Workshop with Austrian artists at the Atelier, Sana´a (Yemen)
2006: Workshop with a group of artists in Santiniketan (West Bengal), India

National and International Memberships:
: Founding Member of the “Modern Art Group”, Sana´a (Yemen)
: Founding Member of the “Yemeni International Cultural Circle” (Halaqa), Sana´a (Yemen)
: Founding Member of Atelier-Group, Sana´a (Yemen)
: Member of the International Association of Art – UNESCO

Certificates of Merit and Prizes:
2006: First Award in Arab Horses Paintings-Competition, Sana´a (Yemen)