'Temporary Certainty' displays Australian Kurdish artist's work in Sydney

Temporary Certainty, an exhibition by 4A- Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in Sydney, is currently displaying Kurdish artist, Rushdi Anwar's work. The exhibition is also showcasing two other artists, Alana Hunt as well as work from Sarker Protick. The artists each focus on a specific geographical region, highlighting equally challenging issues. Rushdi Anwar presents two works that are deeply related to his experiences as a member of the Kurdish diaspora.

We have found in the ashes what we have lost in the fire (2018) by Rushdi Anwar Source: Rushdi Anwar

The exhibition consists of two works by Rushdi Anwar, Facing Living: The Past in the Present (2015) which shows a pair of hands that proceed to tear up and piece back together an official portrait of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein until the image is overwhelmed by black adhesive tape, an act that balances between destruction and creation, erasure and elegy for those who suffered under Hussein’s rule. The scond is titled We have found in the ashes what we have lost in the fire (2018) which is a response to Rushdi's recent experience of traveling to the town of Bashiqa located in north east Mosul, part of disputed territories between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraqi government. There, Rushdi visited the ruins of a church vandalised by ISIS fighter, hence his work explores unsettling similarities between the destruction, transience and renewal faced by displaced and uprooted communities globally and the built environments they are forced to leave.

Rushdi Anwaris a Melbourne-based artist, who was born in Halabja, Kurdistan. Currently he's working between Australia and Thailand. His installation, sculpture, painting, photo-painting and video work often reflect on socio-political issues relating to Kurdistan, Iraq and the Middle East.

Temporary Certainty Exhibition by 4A- Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, will be on in Sydney from 31st of August to 14th of October 2018, you can find out more here.