Dubai's renowned Artspace Gallery presents Iraqi artist Ayad AlKadhi

Artspace Gallery has announced that it will showcase an innovative selection of works by the Iraqi arist Ayad Al Kadhi.

The exhibition will take place from 5th October to 31st October at the Artspace premises in the DIFC Gate Village located at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

As an Iraqi born artist, Ayad Alkadhi's work centers on Arabic calligraphy in stylized forms.  Calligraphy in the form of caligrams is used in his paintings as trenchant commentary on the intersection of Near Eastern and Western culture, politics and religion.  These creations are deeply personal and sometimes incorporate his painted image - a reflection of an artist at the crux of East and West polarities. Alkadhi has exhibited in the Middle East, New Zealand, Europe and in the U.S.

Abdulla Bin Sougat, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Lifestyle Group, said the United Arab Emirates was waiting to welcome AlKadhi back. "AlKadhi is an international celebrity in the arts world, but his connections to the UAE go back to his childhood days. The showcasing of his works by Artspace Gallery will be cherished by his many friends and admirers here”.

“Under the directives Dubai’s visionary government, DIFC continues to support and promote the arts and other finer things of life with the aim of creating an inspiring environment for the DIFC community and Dubai," Bin Sougat added.

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Ayad Alkadhi spent his childhood between England, the UAE and Baghdad. He is an MFA graduate of New York University's ITP Tisch School of The Arts.

At the age of 23, Alkadhi decided to leave Iraq for a better future after the first Gulf War.  His temporary residence was in Amman, Jordan, where he exhibited works at the Amman branch of the Orfally Gallery.  Shortly thereafter Alkadhi moved to Auckland, New Zealand where he had his first one-man art show at the Aeotea Galley in Auckland in 1999.

Alkadhi's first group exhibit in the U.S. was at the Fire Island Pines Arts Project's 9th Biennial art show, followed by a group showing at the National Arts Club in New York, where his work earned the Will Barnet Award.

Other group showings were with the Nader Gallery and LT-MH Gallery in New York City and with the Iraqi Art Gallery in Chicago.   In California, Alkadhi exhibited at the Palm Springs Museum and Exposure Gallery in Palm Springs.