Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Vienna, SANA- The Plastic Artists Union in Syria on Sunday mourned with deep sorrow the international Syrian plastic artist Omar Ibrahim Hamdi, who died on Saturday night at an age of 64 after suffering from an incurable disease.
Head of the Union, Dr. Ehsan al-Eir told SANA that the late artist, internationally known as “Malva”, is considered as one of the most prominent Syrian plastic artists in the domain of photography.
He added that Hamdi was a member of the Union since the year 1970 and he had been able to excel on the international level as his death is a big loss for the fine arts in Syria and the world.
Dr. Ahmed Khalil, who witnessed the early stages of the artistic life of Hamdi at “Jaish al-Sha’ab” magazine, said “Hamdi represented a distinguished artistic experience as whoever knew him was very affected by his death due to his personality which made him loved by everyone as he was very modest, quiet and peaceful.”
Kahlil called for naming a museum, a gallery or any edifice related to the plastic art after the name of the elite artist Hamdi who raised the name of Syria high at the international forums.
Artist Hamdi was born in Tel Naief in the northeastern Hasaka province in 1951 and he practiced the art since his childhood and later he studied the plastic art and specialized in it.
In 1978, Hamdi travelled to Vienna where he stayed till his death as he was a member of the Austrian Artists Union and a member of the UNESCO.
He was also a member of the Künstlerhaus in Vienna and head of the Jury at Gallery Art Forum for the contemporary international art in Vienna.
He wrote a number of books and his works are acquired by art collectors and dealers, art galleries and exhibitions, museums, banks and Ministries of Culture, in addition to a large number of private property acquisitions in Syria, America, Canada, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Japan, Russia and United Arab Emirates “UAE”.
-Hamdi’s books and articles on his work included:
-Malva Omar Hamdi, Life and Color, in Arabic, Damascus, 1976.
-Malva Omar Hamdi, Life and Work, in German, Vienna 1987, by Dr. S. Kaiser.
-Malva, A Critical Study, in English and German by Nicolai Meikofski, published in 1991 by the Art Gallery, New York.
-Malva, Impressionist Works, in English, published by Gallery Arnot, New York, 1991, in German by Gallery L’Atelier, A Critical and Analytical Study by Andre Manzano.
-Malva, Omar Hamdi, 20 Years of Oil Painting, Art Forum, Vienna, 1994.
-Dictionary of World Artistic Criticism, 1999 in English, Flash Art Publishing.
-International Dictionary of Arts, Galleries and Museums, 1991-1992, in German, Art Address, Frankfurt.
-A Volume of 12 Paintings, published by the International Aid Organization in Venice, Italy, Comune di Padova, Progetto Giovanni, 1992.
-Who’s who, International Art, 1994-1995, Switzerland.
-Malva, Into the New Millenium, Arnot Gallery, New York.
-Malva , Album 2004.
R.J/ Barry
