moram’s art

Moram Ali is having an exhibition of his stunning, spectacularly colourful and eye-catching paintings at the Hastings Arts’ Forum from 30 May til 11 June, with an open evening on Friday 2 June from 6 til 8pm. You can catch this wonderfully inspirational exhibition daily from Tuesday to Sunday. HOT’s Zelly Restorick asks Moram Ali about his love of painting and creativity. All profits from the paintings will be donated to UNICEF.

MA: I used to paint and draw as a child in school. My work is valued and displayed around the school. I started painting and drawing and playing music at the age of 50 years old. I’m 75 now. I was able to do a foundation course, then an HND, and then a degree.

I will always continue producing art.

ZR: What keeps you creating?

MA: I want to create something beautiful, but real. I believe I can create a painting or drawing, which will remain alive and meaningful if I continue to challenge what I see and feel is the truth, in my work and my  life.

What I now rely on is my experience of being an artist for many years, of painting mostly every day. Trusting myself. And being involved in art in many ways, research, study, discussion, visiting shows.

I like Beethoven ‘s motto ‘never a day without a line‘.

ZR: How do your creations come to life on the canvas?

MA: I start a painting just making marks and follow my intuition and feelings. I never have a predetermined vision of what will appear on the canvas. It is organic.

When painting I feel alive, on the edge of ‘doing’ or ‘not doing’; ‘to be or not to be?’. I continually struggle for reality – that is brushing aside any pretensions.

ZR: How do your creations relate to your own personal development?

MA: My work is a reflection of the truth as I see it in my daily life; things that are going on in my development of my humanity ‘no affairs of work or daily life are in anyway separate from the ultimate truth.”

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