The art exhibition of painter Abed Abdi drew the attention of both the public and art critics in Israeli newspapers. The exhibition was held at Beit Hagefen in Haifa during the second half of last month and included 39 artworks by the artist, who was already known to the public through his previous exhibitions and illustrations published in the press.
A critic in The Jerusalem Post wrote that Abed Abdi is a well-established artist in graphic art, employing diverse techniques, and that his strength lies not so much in the realism of his subjects as in his stylistic expression. The Post critic added that Abdi succeeded in achieving an aesthetic expression of a theme he knows deeply, reaching its peak in the painting “The Farewell,” depicting a flowing crowd of women whose garments resemble the waves of the sea.
The Hungarian-language newspaper Új Kelet published an interview with the artist, in which Abdi explained that his drawings and paintings are never devoid of political expression, which he integrates within his personal artistic framework, influenced by the general and particular political environment he faces—especially the refugee issue, which appears in many of his works characterized by a realist expressive style. The newspaper noted that Abdi does not deny his influence by socialist art and particularly by artists such as Lea Grundig and Käthe Kollwitz (the German painter who lived before World War II), adding that this influence remains visible in his work even after settling back in the country.
The newspaper Zo HaDerekh wrote that in Abdi’s drawings and paintings one can clearly sense the influence of German realist artists, yet this influence harmonizes with the artist’s own distinctive style. His lithographs and wood engravings appear broad and tragic in tone, their subjects generally being oppression and poverty. This style is most evident in painting no. 39, “The Silence of the Sea.” The two most striking works in the exhibition were paintings no. 20 and no. 32, both on the same theme—“The Farewell.”
The paper concluded that Abed Abdi is a highly talented artist. It is worth noting that the exhibition attracted a large number of art enthusiasts from Haifa and across the country.
source: Al Ittihad newspaper (Translated from Arabic)
