Born in Khanaquine in Kurdistan in 1955.
Lives and works in Paris.
1975:
graduates at the Academy of Fine Arts, section graphic design, in Bagdad.
From 1982 to 1990
he joins the Kurdish Resistance.
1988:
after the Iraqi gas attack on Kurdistan, he moves to Iranian Kurdistan.
In 1990
he is invited to go to Paris for an exhibition of Kurdish artists.
After this event he settles in France. Later on, he becomes a citizen of France.
The universal message of Ramzi Ghotbaldin (°1955 Khanaqin, Kurdistan)
The painting of this Iraqi-Kurdish artist is strongly steeped in his culture and influenced by his experience with exile. Synthesis is at the basis of the imagery of Ramzi Gothbaldin, who is now one of the prominent painters of his generation. Roaming is at the centre of a universe marked by the enigmatic aspects of his origin. His characters seem to wander about in the twilight, which is emphasized by the dreamlike nature of certain scenes. They move in a space that we cannot identify in the absence of known elements. Their simplicity makes them mysterious – they transfer us out of time, to a universe that has no links with ordinary life. Ghotbaldin, a virtuoso of a range of different techniques, gives his imagination free rein. This works wonderfully well as he moves away from the meticulous description and focuses on the effects of light. It models and frames the shapes, and brings a confusing concentration to the composition. The beauty of the subject matters emphasizes the scope of Ramzi Ghotbaldin’s universal message.
