1. Main Gallery
Solo Exhibition
Insights of Immigrant Women
August 27 to September 15, 2024
Syrian artist Ibrahim Al Hamid and his son Fadi Al Hamid are thrilled to be exhibiting Insights of Immigrant Women, a series of paintings by Ibrahim Al Hamid that explores the experiences of immigrant women in the journey of seeking refuge and home, and the important role that art plays in fostering empathy and connection across communities and cultures.
In his paintings, Al Hamid uses a range of colors and brushstrokes to convey the emotional intensity of experience, with a focus on themes of fear, uncertainty, and hope. Layered and textured compositions reflect the layers of identity including strength and resilience that are grown out of a difficult journey.
Fadi Al Hamid shares his father’s story and his process for making the artwork through a short video where Ibrahim highlights the importance of empathy, compassion, and the solidarity of immigrant women — emphasized by the shared humanity and interconnectedness of all people, celebrating the richness and diversity of human experience. Watch the short film here
Saanich Community Services and Cedar Hill Recreation & Arts Centre are proud to support the opening of Insights of Immigrant Women with a free public reception on August 27, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., in the main gallery of the Cedar Hill Recreation & Arts Centre (3220 Cedar Hill Road). All are invited to attend and enjoy the artwork and film, and meet Fadi Al Hamid in the gallery.
We are thrilled to announce an additional gathering, exhibition and conversation with Fadi and Ibrahim Al Hamid that will take place at the Inter-cultural Association of Greater Victoria (808 Douglas Street, Suite 102) on September 25, 2024 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. View the artwork on the upper floor of the ICA between September and October.
About the Artwork
"Insights of Immigrant Women" depicts women's emotions during the journey of seeking refuge, the Syrian artist Ibrahim Al Hamid is using his artworks to explore the unique experiences of immigrant women during their journey. In his artworks, Al Hamid uses a range of colors and brushstrokes to convey the emotional intensity of the immigrant experience, with a focus on themes such as fear, uncertainty, and hope. He uses women's faces and eyes to depict the emotions and physical strain that women endure during the journey of seeking refuge. Through his artworks, Al Hamid seeks to capture the unique challenges faced by immigrant women, to create layered and textured compositions that reflect the different layers of identity and experience as well as the strength and resilience that they bring to their journeys.
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About the Artist
Ibrahim Al Hamid is a Syrian artist known for his powerful and emotive paintings that capture the human toll of the Syrian civil war. He was born in the city of Albokamal, Syria in 1959 and studied fine arts at Damascus University. Al Hamid began his career as a painter in the 1980s and quickly gained recognition for his unique style. He has held numerous solo exhibitions in Syria and other countries, including UAE and Lebanon. However, it was the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 that brought Al Hamid's work to wider attention. As the conflict escalated, he began to create paintings that depicted the suffering and loss experienced by Syrian civilians. Al Hamid's artwork often includes images of women, who he portrays with great sensitivity and empathy. In his paintings, women are depicted as strong and resilient, even in the face of the most difficult circumstances. Al Hamid has continued to produce powerful and moving artwork despite the dangers and difficulties of working in a war zone. In 2015, he was forced to flee his home in Damascus to Lebanon and now lives in UAE. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries around the world and have been used to raise awareness and funds for Syrian refugees and other victims of the conflict.
Fadi Al Hamid, Ibrahim’s son, has been an integral part of pulling this exhibition together and creating a video of his father’s story.
Opening Reception
August 27, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:00pm (refreshments and snacks will be served)
Website
Artists Instagram
Insights of Immigrant Women Instagram
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