Kuwaiti artist chronicles 60 years of creativity in ‘A Journey’ exhibition

• Each painting in the exhibition carries a memory, a story, and an event, addressing the artwork from a human perspective and blending visions of life from the past, present, and future in a sensory harmony full of vitality and brilliance.

A retrospective exhibition titled “A Journey” showcased 60 years of artistic contributions by Kuwaiti visual artist Jafar Islah, highlighting his creative journey from 1965 to the present, according to Al Rai newspaper.

The exhibition was held under the patronage of the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Literature and hosted by the Contemporary Art Platform (CAP). It featured Islah’s works, which are widely recognized in local, Gulf, Arab, and international art circles, along with a collection of his articles and archival photographs published in prominent regional and global magazines and newspapers.

Perhaps it was the distance from the spotlight that prompted him to respond to the newspaper’s request by declaring, “My paintings are my press statement, and what I would like to say… My hand translated my words through my paper and paint.”

He is the artist whose words were printed on the last wall at the end of the hall to express his artistic journey. In his own words: “My adventures in this world represent part of a journey that began in my early years—not through design, but with a natural force that drew me to appreciate order and beauty. I followed my inner longings and passion without knowing where it would lead me.”

He also wrote, “My dear, nothing is greater than self-knowledge, without which human birth cannot bear.”

Each painting in the exhibition carries a memory, a story, and an event, addressing the artwork from a human perspective and blending visions of life from the past, present, and future in a sensory harmony full of vitality and brilliance.