‘Human Suffering at Times of Crisis’ is a special exhibition that is currently open at the Debut Contemporary in London. British artist Barry Martin and founder of the Debut Contemporary Samir Ceric curated the show, which will be running until 30th November 2014. The ‘Human Suffering at Times of Crisis’ exhibition provides the opportunity for artists to express their outrage and concern for those suffering and create works of art that give them a voice to speak out. Curator and artist Barry Martin hopes that the artwork featured in the exhibition will ‘prick the conscience of those who view them.’ A number of artists were invited to exhibit including Guy Portelli, Surbhi Modi, Sassan Benham Bahktier and our very own Anas Homsi. This was the perfect exhibition for Anas’ paintings, which are inspired by Syria, his home country and created in the words of the artist ‘to somehow reduce this human pain and suffering.’ The artist is showcasing two paintings at the exhibition that were handpicked by curator Barry Martin himself.
Facial Remains reflects the human suffering during war.
The first is Facial Remains, an acrylic on canvas painting, which features an imaginative use of colour, texture and depth to convey emotion. Of ‘Facial Remains’ the artist says ‘Faces reflect the human suffering during the war, the remains of the bodies, the remnants of the memory of people who were alive.’
Effect portrays how war affects ordinary people and the way they feel about it.
The second painting by Anas Homsi exhibiting at the Debut Contemporary is entitled Effect.To create this stunning piece, the artist has used a process of layering to build up the imagery and give it depth. Anas describes ‘Effect’ as a representation of the effects war has on ordinary people.
Of his work he says ‘you can hear their screams in the texture of my paintings. I’m trying to transfer their facial expressions into my paintings.’ In a recent interview about his work, Anas spoke about his homeland, Syria, where thousands of people are suffering and living in misery because they are victims of atrocities. The aim of his artwork is to express this pain and make people think in hope that it will somehow reduce the pain and suffering of those living in Syria. When asked about the human suffering, Anas simply said ‘the suffering of Humanity is the cause I work for – it’s my cause.’
About Anas Homsi
Anas Homsi was born in Syria in 1987, growing up in the city of Damascus. He had been passionate about art from a young age and later went on to study and graduate from the faculty of Fine artists in Damascus. Whilst many other artists draw inspiration from the world around them, Homsi focuses more on capturing the atmosphere of a particular memory and the emotions involved within his paintings, which is what made his work the ideal choice for the Human Suffering at Times of Crisis exhibition. The artist has been known to describe his creative process as ‘spontaneous’ and ‘a relief.’ It allows him to let his mind wander and let his imagination take over. One of the things we loved most about his artwork is that it is left up to your own interpretation. You are given a window to his thoughts but are left to draw your own thoughts and conjure up your own emotions from what you see. Although Anas Homsi is still relatively young, he has already achieved so much; participating in several solo and collective exhibitions, with the most recent being Human Suffering at a Time of Crisis at Debut Contemporary.
The Exhibition ‘Human Suffering at Time of Crisis’ will be on display till the 30th of November at Debut Contemporary. Opening hours are Mon-Sat 11 am-7 pm at 82 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RT. For pictures of our event please click here.
