In this lecture, Wisam Al-Samad will talk about his career and experience both from Baghdad, where he comes from, and in Norway. He will speak about his upcoming exhibition at KRAFT: "A Light from Mesopotamia", and will shed light on his previous project "Tilbake til Røttene" with children and young people.

In his new exhibition, “A Light from Mesopotamia,” at KRAFT in Bergen, 26/1-17/3 2024, Wisam Al-Samad mobilises all his artistic and technical expertise to dominate the ceramic surface in its new modern context so that light stemming from the clay core will be planted, which is inspired by the sun of Sumer, and what pulse, vitality, and everlasting radiance it can reflect into the folds of the ceramic units. 

He conjures up the fragrance and depth of his Mesopotamian history that is deeply rooted in his soul to build his plastic world, distinguished by eloquence and capable of capturing the vision and insight of the eager recipient. 

Wisam Al-Samad lives in two different worlds: the emotional and the intellectual. These two worlds parallel his journey in place and his humanitarian expedition, in which he lived in the Arabic East, represented by Iraq and the European West, represented by Norway. His plastic production, technical treatment, and colour choices reflected this contrast between roughness and softness, warmth and frost, the original and alternative homeland.

Through this contrast, we can see Al-Samad had identified with the clay material and succeeded in refining it to conform to his immortal and diverse Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultural heritage, utilising inter-spaces in his ceramic units to form the area of light, movement, and visual intonation that creates a captivating visual melody.

Wisam Al-Samad lives in Norway and works as a teacher of the ceramic arts. Besides his achievements through his personal experiences, he is an artist with his own style. He combines Arabic calligraphy with abstract compositions to give his works their distinctive aesthetic qualities, making them as easy to distinguish as if they bore his signature. His works reveal the secrets of his passion for ceramics, which led him to participate in and create numerous exhibitions. Carrying his works to the public, they admired their essence as they perceived the warmth of Baghdad in his heart and the cold of Northern Europe in his eyes.

Monday Lectures is a public platform combining invited guest lecturers and professors and researchers of the faculty at KMD. Monday Lectures aim to create a diverse programme of lectures exploring a wide range of disciplines and research topics. Lectures typically take place Mondays 10:00 at the Knut Knaus Auditorium and are free and open to all.