Ali Al-kafri (palestine 1948-2022) / Palestinian Boy / Gouache On Paper

ALI AL-KAFRI (Palestine 1948-2022) Palestinian Boy, 1990 Gouache on paper Signed and dated in Arabic lower right

62 x 44 cm (sight size)
79.5 x 61 cm (framed)

This work is part of the figurative output of Ali Al-Kafri, a Palestinian artist whose work sensitively explores the themes of identity, memory, and cultural transmission. The young boy depicted, holding a sheaf of herbs, embodies a symbolic figure of the connection to the land and the continuity of traditions. The frontal composition, structured by an ornamental background reminiscent of Near Eastern textile motifs, lends the whole a dimension that is both decorative and deeply symbolic. The warm palette, dominated by earth tones and ochres, as well as the masterful handling of the gouache, demonstrates great finesse in execution. Created in 1990, this work belongs to a period of artistic maturity for the artist, marked by a confident visual style and a particular focus on the human figure. It is a representative example of contemporary Palestinian painting, combining aesthetic sensitivity with cultural depth.

Biography of Ali Al-Kafri (1948–2022): Ali Al-Kafri was a Palestinian visual artist born in 1948 in the village of Lubya, in the Tiberias district, and died in 2022. Following the Nakba of 1948, he settled in Syria with his family, where he continued his education. He studied at the Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts in Cairo, graduating in 1973, after earlier studies at the Teacher Training Institute in Damascus. From a young age, he was drawn to an artistic approach connected to the history and culture of his people. He created his first painting as a high school student, a tribute to the 1965 Palestinian revolution: this work marked the beginning of a career nourished by collective memory and cultural identity. Al-Kafri is also known for his work in art education, directing cultural publications for young people, and for his role within the Union of Arab and Syrian Visual Artists and the Union of Palestinian Writers and Journalists. Throughout his career, Ali Al-Kafri has presented 32 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions worldwide. His works have been exhibited in numerous countries across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, including Germany, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, France, as well as in the former USSR, Iraq, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, and Iran. In France, his works have been featured in group exhibitions dedicated to Palestinian and Middle Eastern art, thus contributing to intercultural dialogue and increasing the visibility of Palestinian art on the European stage. Al-Kafri's works are included in the collections of national museums and cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Damascus, the National Museum of Riyadh, and the National Museum of Iran, as well as in private collections in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Morocco, Qatar, Algeria, Bulgaria, Germany, Canada, Argentina, Greece, Turkey, the Netherlands, and China.