Land on Fire

Artist: Walid Siti

Date: 16 July to 4 August 2008

Venue: Leighton House Museum

Talk by the artist 16 July, 3pm

Land on Fire is an exhibition of recent works by Walid Siti, an Iraqi-Kurdish painter and printmaker now based in Britain.

Siti’s subjects are his experiences of war, exile, pain and loss. In his hauntingly beautiful, stylised images, rendered in muted, sombre tones, he portrays symbols and forms such as stones, fire, cubes and circles that express his quest for inner peace.

Land on Fire comprises images from two recent bodies of work, Family Ties and Precious Stones.

In Family Ties, Siti explores the contradictory relationship between individual and group identity in the Middle East, where family, tribal or national honour can take precedence over individual concerns. This can serve either as a source of strength and comfort for group members or it can be restrictive to the individual’s freedom and aspirations. Family ties are therefore both a bond and a conflict.

In Precious Stones, Siti highlights the significance of stones (rocks) to the Kurdish people. Stones represent the mountains, which they regard as their only friends, and the stone of Mecca, towards which this predominantly Muslim people pray every day. By removing the stone from its natural setting, Siti invites the viewer to consider the fate of the Kurdish people in terms of the destruction of their natural environment through war and political upheaval, and the delicate relationships involved in the intensive and chaotic work of reconstruction.

Physical and emotional distance from his homeland has led Siti to develop an increasingly abstract, painterly style informed by, but not directly depicting, its violent roots. The use of symbols such as stones and fire highlights the universal plight of war and exile – physically distant though always emotionally close to home.

Land on Fire is one of four exhibitions in the 'Here We Are' series of exhibitions curated by Rose Issa, independent curator and specialist in visual arts from the Middle East and North Africa.

Geometry of Hope: 18 June to 12 July 2008
Land on Fire: 16 July to 4 August 2008
Stitched:  13 August to 6 September 2008
Dakka Marakesh:  10 September to 5 October 2008