Farouk Kaspaules is an Iraqi-born Canadian artist of Assyrian origin, noted for his engravings and silk-screen photography.
Life and career Born in Baghdad, Kaspaules left Iraq in the mid-1970s for political reasons.Hawa, S., The Erasure of Arab Political Identity: Colonialism and Violence, Taylor & Francis, 2017, p. x; Bourque, D. and Kaouk, A., The Lands Within Me: Expressions by Canadian Artists of Arab Origin, Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2003, p.20 After a brief stay in the United States, he chose Canada as his country of exile and settled in Ottawa. He received his art education at the University of Ottawa, graduating in 1989 with Bachelor degrees in Fine Arts and Art History.
He has contributed to the arts community in Canada through his active involvement in artist-run centres and community organizations.
He mixes traditional Arabic iconography with modern symbols to produce works that reflect themes of exile, cultural displacement and related social issues."Farouk Kapaules", [Biography], Canadian History Museum, Online:
Work Kaspaules works in oils and mixed media.Salloum, J. (ed.), Sharq min hunā, YYZ Artists' Outlet, 1996, p. 40 He also executes engravings and silk-screen photography.Bourque, D. and Kaouk, A., The Lands Within Me: Expressions by Canadian Artists of Arab Origin, Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2003, p.28
During his first European exhibition in London, England, in 1993, he established links with other exiled artists from the Middle East, specifically from Iraq. These encounters led to a turning point in his artistic production, which became more politically explicit.
In 2001, Kaspaules's installation …and at night we leave our dreams on window sill, memory of a place (2000) was included in the major exhibition The Lands within Me: Expressions by Canadian Artists of Arab Origin, which opened at the Canadian Museum of History soon after the September 11 attacks.
In 2016, Kaspaule exhibited works in There’s Room: Ottawa Artists Respond to the Refugee Crisis, held at Gallery 101.
Kaspaules has participated in some 20 solo and collective exhibitions in Canada, England, Hungary, France, Chile and Brazil.Farouk Kaspaules (Canada)
Solo exhibitions 1993- A Personal Memory, Kufa Gallery, London, EnglandArt Now Gallery Guide, (International), Volume 12, Issue 11, 1993, p. 81 1995 - Non Sequitur 2000 - The Lands Within Me – Memory of a Place 2003 - State of Things 2003 - The 9th International Cairo Biennale, Cairo, Egypt 2004 - Crossing Borders 2005 - Traces 2006 - Iconoclast 2007 - Be/Longing Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa, Canada"Exhibitions Offer Different View of the Middle East", Ottawa Citizen, 29 November, 2007, Online: 2008 - Inhabitants, Centre d'exposition L'Imagier, Aylmer, QuebecEventful, Online:
See also Iraqi art Islamic art
References