ACC hosts "Al-Adiyat... Out of the Frame" exhibition

Ali Al-Mimar: A life devoted to Arabian horses

Ali Al-Mimar, a graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad (1985) and a student of the late artist Faiq Hassan, has spent nearly four decades capturing the essence of the Arabian horse. His focus on this noble creature stems from its deep-rooted symbolism in Arab and Islamic heritage—representing pride, dignity, strength, and speed. Al-Mimar has held several solo exhibitions across the Arab world and participated in numerous artistic festivals.

Paintings reflect realism, symbolism, and emotion

The exhibition featured around twenty paintings in various sizes, depicting horses in dynamic and serene settings—grazing, running, or interacting in harmony with their environment. Some works leaned toward abstraction, emphasising traits like strength and freedom, such as a horse’s head crowned with a soaring falcon or wild horses captured in moments of unrestrained energy.

Critical reception and artistic analysis

In a post-exhibition discussion, Dr Omar Abdel Aziz praised Al-Mimar's work for blending classical European techniques with the Arab world’s most celebrated cultural symbol—the Arabian horse. He emphasised the animal’s embodiment of both aesthetic beauty and emotional depth, portraying a duality of motion and stillness. According to Dr Aziz, the artist’s compositions allow for varied interpretations, offering viewers multiple layers of meaning.

The artist’s perspective on his work

Al-Mimar shared his creative philosophy, explaining that his artworks strive to go beyond surface beauty. “My paintings are parts of human stories set in dramatic or still atmospheres,” he said. “They carry emotions, myth, and magical realism—all orbiting around humanity as the central theme.” He added that the themes of pride, pain, and the metaphor of “silent neighing” are ever-present in his works, which aim to express freedom and introspection through color and technique.

The exhibition affirmed Ali Al-Mimar’s status as one of the most significant contemporary artists specialising in the depiction of Arabian horses.