Mustafa Ali (Syria, born 1956)
Lot 054 Untitled 2010 wood sculpture 101 x 95 x 35 cm signed, dated and numerated Estimate: $12,000 - $18,000
Renowned Syrian artist Mustafa Ali creates evocative, monumental sculptures, forged from metal, marble, and wood. Often alluding to stories from ancient Syrian mythology, his work is primarily figurative, capturing the natural beauty of the human form. Employing a laboured process in which the rawness of wood is treated with a bronze-like finish, Ali accentuates the natural contours of his medium while creating a dramatic patina-like surface that lends a timeless appearance to his work. Born in Latakia, Syria in 1956, Mustafa Ali lives and works in Damascus . He is the Director of the non-profit Mustafa Ali Art Foundation, which presents exhibitions, workshops, lectures and cultural events throughout the year to local Damascus artists and the public. His work is housed in private and public collections throughout the world, including the National Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Damascus, the Jordan National Gallery in Amman, the Sharjah Museum of Art, and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Public art commissions include The Gate of Syria at the Mediterranean Olympiad in Pari, Italy, and The Tower of Memory at the Damascus International Fairground. He has participated in international biennales including the International Symposium for Sculptors in Valencia, Spain (2001); the Latakia Sculpture Biennial (1997); the Sharjah Biennial (1995); and the Biennial of Alexandria, Egypt (1994).