Lot 94: Untitled

Mustafa Al-Hallaj (Palestinian, 1938-2002) Untitled signed and dated in Arabic, numbered 'unique' (lower right) woodcut on linen 35 3/8 x 55 1/8in. (90 x 140cm.) Engraved and printed in 2001, this work is unique

90 x 140cm.

Acquired directly from the artist's family by the present owner.

Born in Salama near Jaffa in Palestine, Al-Hallaj was a pioneer who was recognised as an 'icon of contemporary Arab graphic arts' and whose works were often dedicated to his lost homeland. Having studied at the College of Fine Arts in Cairo, he later attended the Luxor Atelier for Postgraduate Studies and then soon settled in Beirut, where he lost of most his printed works in an attack during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Following the incident, Al-Hallaj moved to Damascus and in 2002 a fire started in his studio. The artist could save some of his works, but he unfortunately passed away as he was running back to the studio to save the remaining works. His life was a tragic one and his works are very rare to find, they have become a symbol of the artist's life and fights in life.