The painter Abed Abdi has returned to the country after spending a period of study in the German Democratic Republic, a stay that lasted seven years. During this time, he studied the visual arts in the city of Dresden, and after five years received a diploma from its Academy of Fine Arts, specializing in mural painting in addition to graphic arts. In his final year, he focused on various subjects related specifically to the art of mural painting.
While in the GDR, Abdi engaged in numerous artistic activities. He participated in a special exhibition for foreign students from five countries, as well as in many exhibitions and competitions, including the Karl Marx Exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of his birth, and the Lenin Exhibition commemorating one hundred years since his birth.
Among the competitions he took part in were those involving the design of statues and memorial monuments, and the painting of murals for student buildings and new university facilities being constructed in the city of Cottbus. He received certificates of appreciation and monetary prizes, and three years ago worked together with the student group of the Socialist Working Collective and several university professors to paint the exterior façade of the new Palace of Culture in the center of the City of Arts and Science in Dresden. The façade is 30 meters long and 11 meters high. For this work, he was awarded the Medal of Socialist Active Labor and a monetary prize.
Before his return, he held a solo exhibition at the secondary school in Dresden, dedicated to his graphic works. Most of the pieces revolved around the issue of refugees and the themes and suffering of the Palestinian people.
In recognition of his work, the college administration allocated a wall for him to paint, to serve as a symbol of friendship among peoples. Abdi fulfilled this request in appreciation for the Academy of Fine Arts, which offered him great support, and in recognition of the efforts made by the German Democratic Republic on behalf of foreign students.
Now, upon his return home, Abed Abdi will contribute to artistic activity—especially mural painting—and will assist talented young people in advancing their skills.
published in Al Ittihad newspaper on January 21, 1972
translated from Arabic
