It was not all plain sailing for Edinburgh’s Urbane Art Gallery when they decided to showcase international artist Hossam Dirar’s paintings in his first ever UK exhibition.
First of all his paintings were held up at the airport waiting to clear customs, and the gallery had to apply for an EORI import/export licence before it could claim them. Then when the 6 foot crate eventually arrived at the gallery on Jeffrey Street, the delivery man couldn’t get it through the door.
But all’s well that ends well, and Hossam’s paintings are now proudly on display at the gallery until 9 July.
Urbane Art Gallery Director Tracey Robertson said: ”At one stage I thought we might not get our hands on this stunning exhibition. Hossam has had sell-out shows all over the major European cities and in Africa and Bahrain, and we are very excited to be displaying his first British exhibition at our gallery in Edinburgh.
”I am thankful that HMRC processed the licence quickly, and I have learned a great deal about importing work from outside the EU. I am also grateful to the builders who were working on the new Mussel and Steak restaurant, who helped us manoeuvre the paintings into the gallery!”
Hossam’s body of work focuses on the inner beauty of women. Through divergent colour spectrums and varying brushstrokes, he captures the ups and downs of daily life and therein illuminating the strength of character of the women posing for him.
Submitted by Rosemary Walker
