Saturday, Apr 11, 2009
Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: Algerian artist Hocine Ziani captures the beauty of desert life through his paintings. He uses oil on canvas medium to create realistic images of desert environment, horses, falconry, hospitality symbols and the daily village life in the desert.
The 55-year-old artist, who has been living in France and Germany since 1993, is renowned for his realistic work on the desert theme.
In his exhibition at the Cultural Foundation, hosted by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, 17 paintings are on display and sale.
The exhibiting will run till April 17.
"Desert gives me warmth and inspiration that modern cities can't do," he told Gulf News. Commenting on the genre of his art, Ziani said: "This theme solved the horizon line problem which cuts the painting into two - dust and mirage erase this line in the desert. While shades of desert colours are in harmony with all colours, even the opposite colours".
For him trees, people and desert objects is like a fantasy dream.
Ziani worked for 15 years in Algeria at a museum, where he painted all aspects of his native country. He was commissioned by the government to draw battle scenes from the past. He also has mastered the use of colour and its composition to bring out the fine aspects of his paintings.
Remarkable exhibit
One of the remarkable paintings in the exhibition is a hunting scene. It depicts hunters on horses chasing a small gazelle (locally called dhabi).The painting titled Abu Dhabi's first day was inspired by the story of Abu Dhabi. The man in the painting is Shaikh Amar Al Nuami, Crown Prince of Ajman.
"I never knew who the man is in the picture that I painted. I found him very suitable for the story that fascinated me," Ziani said.
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