nedim kufi
versatile expression
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From the heart of Iraq to the heart of Europe, Nedim Kufi has lived an extraordinary life of suffering and isolation. Adventures in mixed media - from paper and flowers to earth and ceramics - have helped him create intimate expressions of thought that straddle the disciplines of printing, etching, sculpture and design. Drawing on the Islamic tradition of repetition and patterning, Kufi is a virtuoso of improvisation and experimentation. In an exclusive interview during his latest exhibition in Jordan, Kufi recalls his journey into art.
anging in limbo between East and West, Nedim Kufi’s
life has been moulded by modern-day politics. Born in Iraq, he studied printmaking and sculpture in Baghdad. Following university, he was conscripted into the Iraqi military for the war against Iran. Held in the grip of the Baath party, the
Iraqi people stared death in the face and those under the slightest suspicion would instantly be shot. “Even sketching and drawing was considered a betrayal to the party,” Kufi says. “I was afraid to draw and paint when I was a soldier in the war. I did small sketches in secret
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Previous pages: ‘Deep Asleep 1’. 2002. Acrylic and ink on rice paper. 44 x 54 cm.
Facing page: ‘Finch’. 2007. Acrylic and wax on paper. 50 x 65 cm.
due to this ‘duality’ of existence; being “physically in Europe, but mentally in the Middle East”. As a result, he confronts the challenges that many artists face today in attempting to define their affinities and roots, and to learn about exactly who they are and to where they belong. “The duality of an
“I was afraid to draw and paint when I was a soldier in the war. I did small sketches in secret because it was considered illegal… I painted landscapes of other places that would take me away from the reality of the war.”
because it was considered illegal… I painted landscapes of other places that would take me away from the reality of the war.” The pain of such conflict later became one of the main elements in his work.
Straddling Destinies
Kufi was never able to realise his creative projects in his homeland. After the war, the artist escaped, leaving his family behind, in search of a life in Europe with the stability and security he yearned for. Having eventually obtained Dutch citizenship, Kufi continued his studies in Graphic Design at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht in Holland. During his studies his tutors encouraged him to experiment with digital technology and combine it with his Fine Art education.
When asked how his life has impacted on his identity and sense of belonging so far, Kufi explains the difficulties he faces inherited Arab identity and a life in the ‘West’ is an existence I fear,” he says. “I fear that the temptation of the West will drown me. Nonetheless, the magic of the Arab world pulls me back all the time… there is no harm in coming back to your heritage; although our roots are combined with a
lot of problems. Yet I feel it is important to come back.” Kufi describes The Netherlands as his studio, as “a space to create my work; everything is dependable. I know what time the bus arrives. I know where to find the materials I need. When I wake up everything is where it was yesterday.”
Myriad Media
A spiritual artist, Kufi works from a deeply rooted bond with his work; and the materials he uses are a fundamental part of the artistic process. His works range from organic henna, handmade paper -which he produces himself -as well as new media such as video, animation and installation. His pieces explore a number of ideas mostly linked to personal experience.
Traditionally a two-dimensional artist, Kufi expresses a long and turbulent rapport with painting; one that is connected
TEXT BY SAMAH HIJAWI PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAN KASSAY
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“The duality of an inherited Arab identity and a life in the ‘West’ is an existence I fear. I fear that the temptation of the West will drown me. Nonetheless, the magic of the Arab world pulls me back all the time.”
to his experience during the Iran-Iraq war when death constantly Defying Normality
lurked in the shadows. During that time, he questioned the The emptiness lasted almost two years during which Kufi
relationship between art and death. Thoughtfully, Kufi identifies experimented with a variety of media: from graphic art,
this painful experience with painting; pain and ‘pain-ting’ being photography and video, to architectural drawings and even
one, in that “pain is one of the main elements used in creating online diaries.
a painting. It is a rich element that has many facets and adds a One of these productions entitled ‘Electro I’ (2006), is a video
different dimension to the work,” he explains. work series in a sequence of independent chapters (as a book
Kufi reached saturation point with painting. “Creating a might be divided) to be screened consecutively, but with no
painting just wasn’t satisfying anymore,” he recalls. “I tried a conclusion. The work explores the banal in the day-to-day
lot of things; I painted smaller and then larger works, changed existence of the contemporary Arab citizen, as seen through
subject matter, but still I felt frustrated”. So Kufi decided it was the artist’s apparently pointless activities of reading, burning
time for a change. “When one expects what will happen, one paper and resting his head on a pile of books. Filmed in black
falls into the trap of repetition.” The experience brought about and white, the work is shot within the frame of a bottle, thus
many questions and led to a period of self-doubt. “I was well playing upon the phrase ‘message in a bottle’.
informed about the tradition of painting -its history and its Here, Kufi wants to communicate with the viewer about the
development as a process through absurdity of normality as pursued under the current political
Left: ‘Butterfly Effect I’. 2002.
time,” he says. “Yet I was unable to state of affairs. The audience feels as if they are peeping
Ink on paper. 41 x 59 cm. Right: ‘Butterfly Effect II’. 2002.
Ink on paper. 41 x 59 cm. understand why I had reached this into a private activity or as if witnessing the scene through a
Facing page: ‘Snakes and
feeling of dissatisfaction with the works keyhole that invokes a distance from the work, adding a sense
Ladders’. 2002. Acrylic on rice paper. 45 x 98 cm.
I produced.” of absurdity.
“The book is a treasure in Arab heritage… It has its own ‘fine art’ that modern
technology fails to match in splendour. The book represents a friend, a conversation and an intimate place that has many layers of meaning.”
Kufi’s works investigate the notion of the book, scripture, a new direction and technique that is so evident in his more writing and keeping diaries. This is also seen in his work ‘Daftar’, recent paintings. an online diary in Arabic that was created in collaboration with several fellow Iraqi artists. The collected writings form an essay Spatial Awareness of cultural experiences. When asked what the book means to His latest exhibition entitled ‘Makhtoutat’ (Manuscripts) at him, Kufi explains, “The book is a treasure in Arab heritage. It Lines Gallery in Amman, Jordan, features a collection of works stands against the icon and the canvas in Western heritage. It that present the book through its different functionalities: as has its own ‘fine art’ that modern technology fails to match in a passport, diary, account or a novel. The paintings - created splendour. The book represents a friend, a conversation and using a variety of materials including photography, cloth, and an intimate place that has many layers of meaning.” dried flowers - make reference to the book as an aide memoire,
Time off from the practice of painting led Kufi to an identification tool and a financial record. The works approach the two-dimensional surface and its subject matter delicately demonstrate an array of techniques and materials, in a very different light. “The painting as a single scene -a creating a layered transparency that transforms Kufi’s practice moment in the timeline of a story -could be a conscious from conventional two-dimensional expression into a three-choice or an entirely accidental one, where the artist is usually dimensional world that revels in a sense of space. convinced that this particular scene says it all.” These ideas led Amid such freedom, the audience is invited to interpret Kufi to ask, “Where is the rest of the film?” Through his studies the ‘book’ as they please. Every piece allows room for of architecture, he says “I found new elements to explore; suggestion and participation. Kufi finds it important to break the element of space and its effect on the audience and the fear factor between the viewer and his artwork; and this perception of the artwork.” These ideas helped him establish is demonstrated in one of the pieces composed of dried
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flowers, which lures the audience to interact not only through
sight, but also through touch. Another piece uses one of
Kufi’s trademarks - repetition. ‘Naqd’, meaning coin or money,
also refers to the practice of art criticism. Both interpretations
resonate in today’s world, and the artist makes fun of both by
intimating the loss of the true value of art; emphasised through
repetitive elements throughout. A third piece ‘To Remember,
To Forget’ is a personal nota bene. “In my day-to-day life -
and I see it with others as well, people tend to forget to say
what they want. They don’t remember to express themselves,
whether negatively or positively, about confessions, feelings or
opinions. Even simple things such as ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’ are
left unsaid.” Kufi translates this idea onto canvas by using stark
shades of yellow - inspired by the familiar ‘Post-it’ notes - with
black to symbolise forgetfulness.
Within Kufi’s Amman show, one work stands out from the rest. ‘Beyond Childhood’ shows the legs of a child behind a veil of flat, neon blue that covers the rest Left: ‘Makhtuta’ (Manuscript). of the canvas. “It questions, it stands
2007. Oil and tea on canvas. 120 x 100 cm.
out and it points towards perhaps a
Right: ‘Blank Book’. 2007. Mixed media on canvas. 120 x 100 cm.
new experiment in the future. It poses
Facing page: ‘Naqd’. 2007. Mixed media print on
a question and opens the door to new
canvas. 120 x 100 cm.
projects,” he says.
Sensual Direction
So what next and where? One thing is certain, “I have a responsibility to stay connected to the Middle East,” Kufi says. His next exhibition will reflect his inexhaustible spirit and playful nature to experiment with new materials. “Soap has many healing qualities,” he says. “Specifically in the ingredients that are used to make it.” The idea comes from a personal interest in the ancient traditions of the Attar (homeopath); a profession that has been passed down through generations. Kufi researched the subject during a homeopathy residency in Brooklyn, New York, in 2004. He talks with passion about the textures created when soap is used as an artistic material. “Painting isn’t just a two-dimensional surface on a wall, it has an age and it has its own existence that goes beyond that of the painter. I want to explore these possibilities through the sense of smell, as well as sight by using soap”.
Nedim Kufi will exhibit at Gemak Gallery, The Hague, Holland, 1-20 January; at Atassi Gallery, Damascus, in March; and The Phatory Gallery, New York, in May. For information, visit www.2nedim.com and www.daftar.nl