Landscape in the morning no. 17

Kurdish artist Azad Saber (1968) was quite well-known in his country when he lived there. He was one of the young art generation and visibly contributed to modern local art. As he felt hampered by the repressive regime, he moved to the Netherlands at the end of the 1990s. For him, art and painting are inextricably bound to freedom. This not so strange, because his name ‘Azad’ means ‘freedom’ in Kurdish. He says,

 ‘Through painting I can express myself. Since I realized that I belong to the Kurdish people, who became slaves in their own country and have no right to live in peace, my work focuses on human life and the free intermingling of materials and spiritual values. Right now, I experience the taste of freedom in a self-imposed exile among people who respect human values. I can enjoy life in painting for freedom and human rights and establishing a world of colour, a nation free from hate and racism. I have been painting all my life and know no other way to communicate my message better and louder than through my artistry. Fortunately, painting is a universal language that can be understood all around the globe…’

Azad’s work shows realistic details in a more abstract impressionist setting. Big and small emotions are given a place in a poetic imagery that is open to interpretation.