Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Arabic and English, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Greetings art-loving viewers, and welcome to today’s Enlightening Entertainment, featuring the aesthetic works of the Iraqi Australian artist, Mr. Hassan Alnajar. Characterized by symbolism and vibrant colors, Mr. Alnajar’s paintings reflect a multicultural dimension and spiritual subjects, speaking of peace and unity, and celebrating gifts of life.

He subtly merges a variety of styles, from the abstract Picasso to the post-impressionism of Gauguin, creating unique artworks rich in poetic and surrealistic overtones. Born in Jerusalem, Mr. Alnajar revealed his interest as a painter since a very young age. His early experience of traveling through various countries of the Middle East and Africa helped him to develop his artistic sensibilities.

When I was maybe 6, 7 years I traveled with my father, with my brother to all these areas in Egypt, in Saudi Arabia. I went to Kuwait too, many countries. That’s when we travelled from place to place, we get many things.

I worked in Kuwait, I worked in Saudi Arabia, I was studying in Egypt, too. In Iraq is a big school for education and artists. And, in Middle East, in Jordan, in Israel, in Palestine, in Egypt, there are many churches, there are many mosques, there are many ancient pyramids, you know that? That ancient history makes us to get more information in our life.

Mr. Alnajar also derived his inspiration from the extensive literature of the Middle East, be it legend, mythology, poetry, or philosophical and mystical texts.

So how did you become so creative? Were you just born with a talent?

Yes. I was born talented, exactly. And what I got education in, when I was reading very good books as “Asalbahtari,” Ibn al-Rumi, Ibn Sina, Abu al-Ala Al-ma’arri, every book I read, and every education I read. And I wrote too also poetry. All my life I read.

I was also reading big poetry. Like Bader Shaker Alsayab, and many poetry men in Iraq, and everywhere in Arab countries.

Later, Mr. Alnajar settled in his home country of Iraq where artistic traditions are rich and varied, and established himself as a professional designer.

I lived in Iraq for 30 years. Iraq is exactly the home of the arts. I have many friend artists and I was always visiting the gallery. And I was working with design. I was making designs for maybe most of the factories. In Iraq, there are many artists for sculpture, for drawing, painting, everything.

About ten years ago, Mr. Alnajar moved to Australia and embraced his second homeland. As an industrious and motivated person, he soon made fascinating observations about Australia’s vast scenery, history, culture, and Aboriginal arts, and transferred them into his paintings. Not long afterward, in 2001, he held his first exhibition.

It’s a beautiful country, and it’s an inspirational country. Many inspiration were given to me, because the mountains and Australian desert and Australian lifestyle.

Captain Cook – the great man who discovered Australia. He’s my inspiration. I go about ten times to Sydney City area museum. I read everything in the museum, and look there and there and there and look all the area, and maybe still about two months, go there to the museum in the city, for creating this photo, for that great man, to make him always memorial, for the students, for museum, for Australian citizens.

Beautiful!

That is a big river for Australia. That is Australia here. And everything here with agriculture that’s feeding the world. Australia is here. That means God bless Australia. This is my first exhibition on September 28, 2001.

This painting, “Lady in the Bush.” The idea comes from when Australians came to Australia. Maybe 200 years ago. This is 100% Australian bush drawing and paints.

Is the lady an Aboriginal Australian?

Yes, it is a lady Australian and Aboriginal. I mixed it together, European and Aboriginal together. I remember dreaming when I was young to like to go bush, and so maybe to meet some girl! It’s still in my mind, and when I came to Australia, I said I will make it, “Lady in the Bush.” For me it is good inspiration and I hope to do more.

When I’m painting, I am feeling as I am reading a book, or writing a book.

When I’m painting, very full inspiration, and feeling no anything behind me. I live with the paints and with the subject in my mind. And I done everything in my mind and put it here. If you ask me to do something like this now I cannot do that again! Because when I’ve done that with “The Lady in the Forest,” I was myself some lady in the forest and go there and go walking, walking, she doesn’t know where is the end.

Mr. Alnajar also created paintings incorporating both Australian and Arab traditions.

When I came to Australia, I liked to make it Australian artwork design as this is old gate, and this is many designs, some bodies of humanity, and some stars here, and many designs and that’s an Arabic line and this is a design, and something beautiful here…

What does the Arabic writing mean?

That means “Al Adl assas al moulk” – all government will be good, will be alright and continuous always.

Mr. Alnajar also expressed his deep concern about the environment, and hoped that his paintings could motivate people to be better stewards of the Earth.

Because my work is exactly all talking about the nature, about the environment, about the case of the life, what is happened with us here now. With education, the people, they can understand to keep our land clean, and no more smoking, and no more anything dirty. We want not only peace, to stop the war, but to stop everything bad in the Earth. If we do not look out for our Earth, for our environment, everything will be no good, and will be flood area and will be tsunami and will be something.

Foreseeing the near future, Mr. Alnajar saw a beam of hope that the world will be spared from chaos. He expressed this hope in his painting through symbolism.

Something fortunate for the world. From 2007 plus 2013, I suggest everything will be like something prisoner. And the bird of the peace will come to the prisoner and give him something to drink or to make his body very nice and to be very healthy. That means our world now too needs this, to be healthy.

So in this painting, are the animals helping the humans?

I mean that, too. Not only for him, also for the peoples. For peoples, for all the peoples in the world. Because environment is no good, it will be very bad for everything.

As we can see, on Mr. Alnajar’s canvas, a variety of religious symbols from Christianity and Islam are depicted to indicate peace and reconciliation. Through the universal language of art, Mr. Alnajar wished that humans would unite beyond nations and cultures.

This comes from legend. From old Bible. Yes, this is the moon and this is the cross. This is the Holy Land, and the heart inside the heart, that means Jesus and Joseph. This is the flower for our future life from that life. And what about this color? That means life will be very beautiful.

My idea and message to people is to always think about the peace, because they are beginning with a good idea and good life. And I put everything for that to make my explanation from myself to tell him to keep peace everywhere we are going. That is my message.

This painting was created in 2002. It is named “Eyes of God Look to Australia.” I put eyes of God and I put many logos from the Middle East and Australia here. And this, our flag Australian. And I drew some Aboriginal arts. And kangaroo, too.

Finally, Mr. Alnajar expressed his earnest wish for the world – a universal peace and happiness among all the peoples and nations.

Palestinian people and Israeli people are neighbors together. One land and one people.

I hope for these two people, Israeli people and Palestinian people, to be comfortable and relaxed together and thinking about the future. Not the war. I hope that.

I hope all the world will be very comfortable, very nice, very relaxed, very understanding what is between the peoples, because we don’t need war. Because I think all wars and everything from this way will be the end of something, is black-tunneled, no good. We hope that, because we like all people’s life very happy and comfortable.

We hope so too.

Thank you very much.

Not long after our interview, we were saddened to learn that Mr. Hassan Alnajar, peace-loving Iraqi artist who honored all the cultures that were part of him, passed away. Yet, we believe that his timeless artistic expressions will continue to inspire people for years to come. With condolences to Mr. Alnajar’s family, may his soul rest peacefully in Allah’s light and may his wish for world peace soon be realized.

Gentle viewers, thank you for joining us today on Enlightening Entertainment. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. Up next is Words of Wisdom, after Noteworthy News. May your every moment be graced with peace and fulfillment.