Resmi Al Kafaji
He was born in Diywania, Iraq. There he earned a degree in art from the Institute of Fine Arts of Bagdad, then later from the Accademia di Belle Arti of Florence, Italy. He participated in various exhibitions in Iraq until 1977 when he moved to Italy.
" Following a path, we are often not sure where it might take us and sometimes, we encounter surprises and make discoveries which nature has to offer, and slowly, slowly, an extraordinary final image is built up by the end of our journey.
Just as when I begin a painting, I often do not know how it will end up, but one step after the other I follow my path, which is a sheet of paper and a brush, acting as a walking stick which leads me to where I was meant to arrive. "
Solo exhibitions
2018 Earth and Moon, Studio 38 Contemporary Art Gallery, Pistoia, Italy
2017 Two memories, Zetaeffe Gallery, Florence, Italy
2016 Other homelands 1, Orfali Art Gallery, Amman, Jordan
2016 Other homelands 2, Albareh Art Gallery, Manama, Bahrain
2016 Other homelands 3, Artspace Hamra, Beirut, Libano
2014 Autunno, Galleria Immaginaria, Florence, Italy
2012 Canti Andalusi, Galleria Immaginaria, Florence, Italy
2008 Thirty years of distance, Zinc exposities galerie, Bergen, The Netherland
1999 Stadsbiblioteket, Goeteborg (S) L’albero della vita, Galleria La Spirale, Prato, Italy
1997 Galleria La Spirale, Prato, Italy
1996 Tamuz Gallery, Bruxelles, Belgium
1993 Polivalent Hall, Montemurlo, Prato, Italy
1989 Galleria Alfa, Milano, Italy 1984 Gallery of the Town Hall, Rignano sull’Arno, Florence, Italy
1983 Municipal Gallery, Troghi, Florence, Italy
Group exhibitions
2018 Bagdad mon amour, a cura di Morad Montazami, Institut des Cultures d’Islam, Paris (F) Art-karlusruhe, Karlusruhe (D) Astrattismo-Sguardi, a cura di I.Gualtieri e I.Magni, Borghetto di Bagnolo, Montemurlo Milleduecentossessantuno, Fra astrattismo e arte concettuale, Galleria Zetaeffe, Florence
2017 Locura Follia, a cura di L.Gensini, Biblioteca Lazzerini, Prato Palazzi d’arte, Studio38contemporary art, Pistoia Art, Abu Dhabi (EAU) Wopart, Lugano (Sw) Collettiva di artisti internazionali, Galleria Zetaeffe, Florence 2016 Tandem in tandem, a cura G. Giusti, Case d’arte, Via della Mattonaia, Florence Art Dubai, Dubai (EAU) Mostra 20, Galleria Zetaeffe, Florence
2015 Art London, London (UK) Beirut Art Fair, Beirut (Libanon) 2014 Oltrevisore, Albume convivial art project, Cuneo
2013 21 Cuori, Atelier Giardino Colgante, Prato ALTER EGO, Ex-chiesa di San Giovanni Gerosolimitano, Prato Il linguaggio universale dell’arte, C.A.O.S. Museum, Palazzo Primavera, Terni
2012 Dove Sta “Za”? 110 Artisti per i 110 anni di Cesare Zavatini, Quadro 0,96, Fiesole Dialoguing Textures. Ex-chiesa di San Giovanni Gerosolimitano, Prato
2011 Videoarte, Neon campobase, Bologna La rincorsa della lepre, Brolo (ME) Festart VideoArtFestival - Forum di Ancona Culture as resource and value, Teatro delle Muse, Ancona The Mystical Self, VideoArtVerona, Verona VisualContainer, Milano Ars gratia artis, Galleria La Corte, Florence
2010 Visioni irachene, videoart, Sala Altana, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence Magmart Festival, PAN, Palazzo delle arti, Naples and Museum of contemporary art of Casoria, Casoria (CE) 3rd Bagasbas Beach International Eco Arts Festival, The Philippines FestArt VideoArt Festival, Macro Testaccio, Museum of contemporary art of Rome, Rome Ravello LAB, Torre Maggiore di Villa San Rufolo, Ravello
2009 Sulla propria pelle, Villa Vogel, Florence Galleria Roos, Greve in Chianti
2008 15 artisti x 111 sms, Andrea Del Sarto, Florence
2005 Il Cassero, Prato 2003 Artisti del Novecento pratese, Santa Caterina, Prato Kufa Gallery, London (GB)
2002 Theatre of Utrecht, Utrecht (NL) 2001 Company Gallery, Utrecht (NL) Mokum Gallery, Amsterdam (NL)
2000 Brunei Gallery, London (GB)
1998 Etruria Arte, Venturina - Leghorn
1996 Konst Ustalling, Goeteborg (Sweden)
1995 Galleria CEPAC, Prato
1993 Galleria La Spirale, Prato, I colori del mondo, S. Bartolo a Cintoia, Florence I colori del mondo, S. Bartolo a Cintoia, Florence I colori del mondo, Galleria DEA, Florence
1989 L’arte che non esiste, Palazzo Valentini, Rome
1988 Galerie Nuovo Aleph, Milan
1984 Circolo Brecht, Milan
1983 Fiera d’Arte, Messina 15th Biennal International of Fine Arts, Ljubljana (Slovenie)
1982 Folklore Museum, Rome Municipal Art Space, Paris (F) Sirian Center Cultural, Damascous (Syria)
1981 Palazzo Parte Guelfa - Municipal Gallery, Florence Palazzo Ca’ Giustiniani, Municipal Gallery, Venise
1978-1979 Exhibition of Iraqi Artists, Municipal Gallery, Perugia