Artist Reception – Lukman Ahmad

“The Other Side of the Coin” Solo Exhibit by Kurdish-American Artist, Lukman Ahmad
Exhibit dates: March 24-April 30

Artist Reception: Saturday, April 2, 6 pm – 8 pm
(9419 Battle St, Manassas, Free & open to the public)
Live Kurdish, Iranian, & Greek music provided by: Azad Yalçin, Jalal Kimia, & Spyros Pilios Koliavasilis

The Other Side of the Coin
Syrian born, Lukman Ahmad reflects the Kurdish experience as well as the human experience. Along with his vibrant paintings and expressive emotion, Ahmad also implements the color black in his works, combining the tragedy of death and hope together in his current collection. Ahmad’s homage and deep sense of belonging to the Kurdish land is emphatically portrayed in his acrylic painting style through the use of cultural motifs such as the sun, sunflowers, horses, and doves. He knows that a thousand stories were forgotten – a swinging graceful dancer painted in colorful fluid shapes alongside a galloping horse, contrasted, with the heaviness of a grief-stricken black cloaked woman recently widowed, and fronting desert sands where her loved ones rest. Ultimately, his collection unveils The Other Side of the Coin.

About the Artist
Self-educated, and deeply in touch with his people and the intertwined surrounding cultures, he expresses imagination and experiences with authenticity. Ahmad allows color and movement to tell the story, be it one of pain or of happiness, of contemplation or passion. He combines symbolism, imagination, color, and rhythm, to transport the viewer into the world he lived and the emotions he witnessed.

Ahmad strives to deliver that spectrum of life with over 100 exhibits in various countries, including: Syria, Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Egypt, Lebanon, and the United States. Ahmad’s exhibit history has ranged from solo exhibits, such as the Foundry Gallery in D.C., the Jerusalem Fund Gallery, the Voice of America Gallery, and Syra Gallery, as well as group exhibits at the West Branch Gallery and Sculpture Park in Stowe, Vermont, Artomatic in Maryland, the Ackland Art Museum with the University of North Carolina, and the Workhouse Arts Center in Virginia.

Contact:
ARTfactory
Gallery Director: Jordan Exum
jexum@virginiaARTfactory.org
703-330-2787
Gallery Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm
9419 Battle St, Manassas, VA 20110
VirginiaARTfactory.org/manassas-art-gallery
Instagram: @virginiaartfactory