Woodwork, sculpture

Yazidi artist preserves cultural heritage through art in Nineveh

2024-07-15 | 13:21

NINEVEH – Since graduating from the Institute of Fine Arts in 2005, Bashar Salem has dedicated his career to the creation of fountains, murals, and garden fences. Born in 1983 in Bashiqa, Nineveh, Salem’s artistic expression was briefly interrupted when he was displaced from his hometown during the ISIS invasion. He resettled in Duhok, where he lived for nine years and where his work particularly flourished in mountain homes, resorts, and restaurants.

Salem, who lost his photo archive during the ISIS era, now continues his passion for art as a teacher within the Tel Keppe education directorate. He graduated with a major in sculpture, ceramics, and handicrafts and began his career by designing miniature fountains before advancing to larger cement works and intricate garden decorations.

Appointed as an art teacher in Alqosh, Nineveh, in 2006, Salem continues in this role and currently heads the art activity department in Tel Keppe’s education sector. He also designs drawing rooms and murals for city schools.

In 2012, Salem’s designs evolved to include large garden fences and massive fountains, inspired by foreign models yet imbued with his unique vision. “I often draw inspiration from Stone Age artifacts in Western countries to create stone and wooden fountains from cement,” Salem explained in an interview with 964media.

Following the 2014 displacement from Bashiqa to Duhok, Salem’s work adapted to include more woodwork and decorations suited to the rural and touristic landscapes, such as those on Mount Zawa, which overlooks Duhok and has become a bustling destination for breathtaking views over the whole city. He also completed a notable project, a fence for a school in the mountains.

Upon the liberation of Bashiqa from ISIS, Salem returned to his hometown and resumed his creative work, though at a reduced scale due to the town’s smaller size. His work in Mosul continues, where he designs fountains, swimming pools, and fences for local farms and home gardens.

Salem elaborates on his pricing strategy, noting that the cost of a wall fountain starts at about $700 if the location is near his home, escalating to $900 for designs that include additional sculptures like dolphins or crocodiles. The most straightforward designs take about two weeks to complete, while more complex installations can require up to a month.

“I rarely exceed $900 and do not seek to increase prices. I choose good-quality, affordable materials to avoid heavy weight on the ground and high costs for the customer,” Salem remarked.

Though some fountains can be priced as high as $4,000, Salem prefers working within the modest scale typical of Bashiqa. The town’s residents now include features such as fountains, swimming pools, and fireplaces in their homes—amenities designed to emulate the resort-like feel absent in Bashiqa but prevalent in the Kurdistan Region.

Currently, Salem is working on a new project—a tree-shaped fireplace for a Bashiqa home.