Bashir Ahmad’s Paintings & Sculptures on World War II

Bashir Ahmad’s 5 Days exhibition of paintings and sculptures entitled Remains of Ruins was held from 7th to 11th August 2010 at Al Hamra Art Gallery. Bashir Ahmad, is the head of the fine arts department at the National College of Arts (NCA).

Exhibition was held in memory of the victims of nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki , and aspires to encourage peace, harmony among different cultures, nations and oppose nuclear war and terrorism. Paintings and sculptures that express insight into the viciousness of war are being presented.

One of the sculptures entitled I am a Sumo and I Want Peace shows the mutilated face of a sumo warrior who has gone through suffering from the after effects of an atomic bomb blast. In Japan the sumo wrester, generally considered a symbol of strength, is shown suffering to illustrate how the atom bomb wreaked havoc with life in Hiroshima and Nagasaki .
A sculpture shows a human face which had lost its symmetry due to the heat generated by the explosions. Another sculpture titled I am a Penguin and I want Peace shows a penguin on a pedestal with a statement condemning the use of atomic weapons. Another sculpture depicts two female figures that have fused together.
In a painting titled Buddha Under the Mushroom of Atom, the artist draws the fictional evolution of human violence. Before, humans used swords and arrows to acquire territory and power; eventually, men developed weapons of mass destruction and destroyed humanity for their greed. The Buddha is painted black and the smoke above his head indicated that humans continue to search for peace and harmony within divergence.