Miniature group exhibition of the Visual Artists Association of Northern Greece in Thessaloniki

With these 4 works I participate in the group miniature exhibition of the Visual Artists Association of Northern Greece in Thessaloniki.

Landscape, 2020, acrylics, 12x12 cm

Landscape, 2020, acrylics, 12x12 cm

Landscape, 2020, acrylics, 12x12 cm

Landscape, 2020, acrylics, 12x12 cm

Exhibition poster

Today is the anniversary of a very important day for the Kurds

In our recent history, as a nation and as a country, our greatest success and victory is the successful holding of the Kurdistan Independence Referendum. 

We know he followed this important decision of the Kurds.

Even for various reasons, 100 times if we fall, we will rise again, because as a nation and as a country we have decided that we will survive. Our first step was the successful holding of the Referendum, but our biggest day, the establishment of an independent Kurdistan will not be long in coming.

The wish from the new Millennium, oil and wood paints, 100x100 cm.

Serhad Bapir in the exhibition entitled "Thessaloniki to the painters" in the Gallery of the Gallery of the Society of Macedonian Studies

TV 100, Show "On the Land of Macedonia" by Stelios Loukas. The painter Serhad Bapir talks about his own participation in the exhibition entitled "Thessaloniki to painters" at the EMS Gallery.

The Society for Macedonian Studies, in the context of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of its founding, organized in its Gallery an exhibition entitled "Thessaloniki to painters".

The exhibition presents 130 works by 80 Greek and foreign painters covering a period from the middle of the 19th century until today. 

Serhad Bapir participates in this exhibition with 4 paintings.

Exhibition on "Thessaloniki to Painters"

As part of its 80th anniversary celebration, the Society for Macedonian Studies organized an exhibition entitled "Thessaloniki to Painters" in its Gallery.

The exhibition presents 130 works by 80 Greek and foreign painters covering a period from the mid-19th century to the present.

The works come from the collection of the EMS Gallery, the National Bank Educational Foundation (MIET), the Municipal Gallery of Thessaloniki, the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EVE). ), Thessaloniki gallery, private collections and painters from all over Greece.
The exhibition was inaugurated on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, at the Nikolaos Germanou Art Gallery building, 6th floor in Thessaloniki.

The exhibition, which was originally planned to last until 2 February 2020, is being extended to Sunday 1 March 2020 due to the great interest of the visual public.

I participate in this exhibition with 4 paintings.

Thessaloniki Port, 2011, acrylic, 21x30 cm.

Thessaloniki Port, 2011, acrylic, 21x30 cm.

Thessaloniki Port, 2011, acrylic, 21x30 cm.

Thessaloniki Port, 2011, acrylic, 21x30 cm.

Serhad Bapir on '' The Kurdish Window '' on the satellite TV channel of Kurdistan 24

I was hosted on the program '' The Kurdish Window '' on the satellite TV channel of Kurdistan 24 which broadcasts in the south of Kurdistan. Thanks to Mıhemed Bilen, Seybrahim Seydo Aydogan, Metin Dag and all their partners.

Landscape, 2015, charcoal and soft pastel, 70x100 cm

In Vafopouleio in Thessaloniki the 8th individual exhibition by Serhad Bapir (TV100-27 / 03/19)

His eighth individual exhibition presents, in the Vapofoulio Cultural Center of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the art artist, Serhad Bapir. The painter came to Greece from Kurdistan in 1984 as a political refugee and immediately began his studies at the School of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University, where he graduated with excellent degree. In his new collection, the works focus on the concepts of freedom and democracy.

Reportage: Diogenis Mariolas

Camera: Sakis Sonis

They speak: Serhad Bapir (Visual),

Thalia Stefanidou (Art Historian),

Petros Dimitrakopoulos (Chairman of the Vapofouliou Election Commission)

Conversation of the artist Serhad Bapir with the art historian Thalia Stefanidou at the Vaophoopoulos Cultural Center.

On March 20, 2019, the Historical Art Speech was held at the Vafopouleio Cultural Center. Thalia Stefanidou for the work and exhibition of Serhad Bapir. A fruitful dialogue has developed between Ms. Thalia Stefanidou and the artist in front of the audience.

Snapshots from the conversation of Serhad Bapir with the art historian Thalia Stephanidou at the Vaophoopoulos Cultural Center. The artist in two large halls of Vapofoulio presents 172 paintings and one installation.

Serhad Bapir and Art Historian Ms. Thalea Stefanidou

March 6, 2019, from the inauguration of the painting exhibition by Serhad Bapir at the Vafopouloi Cultural Center in Thessaloniki.

I thank my friends, all my fellow artists and the art lovers who honored me with their presence. Be well.

Photos: Nikos Bendilas

Serhad Bapir painting exhibition at Vafopouleio Cultural Center of the Municipality of Thessaloniki

  The following text and the biography of Serhad Bapir are included in the two-fold handout which was printed and distributed during his exhibition (March 6-29, 2019) at the Vafopoulio Intellectual Centre, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Our real homeland is said to be our childhood. By childhood we mean the life we have experienced in a place, where our parents’ home, our hometown, the place where we were born and raised, plays the main role.

In the early 19^th century the big, powerful countries divided and shared the world to their own benefit, without considering the people’s needs, their national and religious distinctiveness. People of many nations were initially partitioned and found themselves in the various colonies of the big and powerful countries only to consist, later on, the independent countries. Unfortunately, the Kurds were deprived of their indisputable right in self-determination, in a free and independent Kurdistan.

Some people are born in a free nation/country; some others are born as children of a subjected nation, of a religious or a national minority. No one can either select his parents or decide whether to be born in an independent, democratic, flourishing country or a country separated in 4 pieces and divided with barbed wire and mine fields, occupied by four countries, where the teaching of their mother tongue is forbidden, as in the case of the Kurds and Kurdistan. No one can choose where to be born, however he can fight for all the above. This is what the Kurds do, just like so many people in other countries.

In this fight for dignity and the indisputable right of self-determination, dozens of Kurdish towns, like Kobani, Şıngal, Sûr, Cızir, Xurmatû, Εfrin and thousands of villages have been torn down by ISIS and the Turkish and Iranian countries within the last four years. Millions of people have been uprooted from their ancestral hearth.

It is said that borders divide people, and that sounds good. Those who think of it bear in mind the boundaries of independent nations-countries and seem to disregard the case of people who have not accomplished to create their own country yet. In this case, the lack of national boundaries makes things tragic.

  

I’m talking about the case of the Kurds and Kurdistan. Though there are historical, demographic and natural boundaries, Kurdistan is occupied and divided in four parts, among four dictatorships (Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria). That’s the reason why there are no official boundaries between Kurdistan and other neighbouring countries. On the contrary, the boundaries of those neighbours have been placed upon the body of Kurdistan and have split the Kurds themselves.

The Kurds, who fight for their freedom, are often chased; even chemical weapons are used against them, they often trespass these unfair boundaries, which divide their country, and are forced to become refugees in their own fatherland.

This section of my work is focused on this issue: to depict the Kurds who fight. Moreover to depict borders preventing Kurds from acquiring their national unity; inhabited areas which are being destroyed, military outposts on borders watching this outrage, whereas far away, across the skyline the sea, and old ships are waiting to lead some people down to their “wet grave” or an unknown future as refugees 6/3/2019

Serhad Bapir

Serhad Bapir was born in 1964 in Tetwan, Kurdistan. In 1984 he escaped to Greece, where he stayed as a political refugee. He received a scholarship from  Institute Kurde De Paris for his studies from 1985 to 1992. From 1987 to 1992 he studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and attended the workshops of professors D. Kontos and V. Demetrea. From 2001 to 2007 he also studied evgraving (second degree) at the same Faculty with professor X. Sahinis.

He has been working in the Secondary Education since 1997. He has been a member of the Greek Chamber of Arts as well as the Fine Arts artists Association of Northern Greece and the Association of Greek engravers. He has carried out 8 individual exhibitions in Greece and Sweden and has also participated in more than 100 team exhibitions in Greece and abroad. His artworks are in public and private collections in Greece and abroad.
The exhibition will run until March 29, 2019.

Days - Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 17.00 - 21.00
                                                                    Saturday: 9.00 - 14.00

Vafopouleio Cultural Center: 3, G. Vapopoulou street, 546 46 Thessaloniki, tel .: 2310 424 132-3

Landscape, 2018, acrylic, 121x144 cm

Landscape, 2018, acrylic, 121x144 cm

Few words about Dystopia

It is said that "the real homeland is our childhood". It is understood that this childhood as a living experience takes place in a place where the father's home, the village or the city where one grows and grows one plays the central role.

The great powerful states of the world at the altar of their interests, at the beginning of the last century, disregarding the right to self-determination of peoples, their national and religious peculiarities, shared the world with each other. So many divided peoples initially found themselves in various colonies of large states and then in the newly independent states. Unfortunately, the Kurds lacked the self-evident right to self-determination in a free and independent Kurdistan.

Some people are born in a free nation/state and some are born as children of an enslaved nation, a religious or ethnic minority. As no one can choose his parents, no one can choose whether he wants to be born in an independent, democratic and prosperous country or in a country divided into four pieces, occupied by four states, with barbed wire, minefields and with forbidden the teaching of their mother tongue, as in the case of the Kurds and Kurdistan. No one can choose who will be born but can fight for all this. This is what the Kurds do, as do many other peoples.

In this struggle, over the last four years, dozens of Kurdish cities such as Kobani, Şıngal, Sûr, Cızir, Xurmatû and thousands of villages have been razed by ISIS and by the Turkish and Iraqi states. Millions of people have been uprooted from their ancestral homes, so is the case at Efrin.

In this section of my work, I worked on this issue: Residual areas that are destroyed, borders and military outposts that monitor barbarity and on the horizon a sea of rotten ships that will lead some people to the wet tomb or an uncertain future of refuge.
26-02-2018

The Kurds voted for Kurdish Independence

The Kurds, along with all ethnic and religious minorities in the southern Kurdistan region, voted in a referendum on Kurdistan independence on 25 September 2017.

The Kurds, with great enthusiasm and determination, went to the polls in spite of the threats of Iraq and the other three dictatorial and racist states (Turkey, Iran and Syria) who are in the possession of the other three parts of Kurdistan.

The Supreme Independent Election Authority and the Kurdistan Referendum today 27-9-2017 announced the first official results of the referendum on Kurdish independence.

Participation in the referendum was 72.16%. Of the valid ballots, 92.73% was in favor of the independence of Kurdistan's southern part from Iraq and 7.27% of independence.

The Kurds are expecting and hoping to mediate large states and international organizations so that the Iraqi state can accept Kurdistan leaving Iraq by dialogue and peace.

We Kurds also look for the support and solidarity of the international community in favor of the self-evident democratic right to decide on their self-determination.

The Kurds are determined in every way and every honor to defend their great victory in the referendum and to realize the independence of Kurdistan.

The referendum was the first and at the same time the big step in the course of the Kurds for the independence of Kurdistan and this great day will not be late.

Kurds Decide on the Independence of Kurdistan

The Kurds, together with all the ethnic and religious minorities in the southern Kurdistan region on 25 September 2017, vote in a referendum on the self-evident, namely the independence of the southern Kurdistan region from the artificial and dissolute state called Iraq.

This part of Kurdistan has an area roughly like that of Austria or the Czech Republic and has a population of around 8-9 million inhabitants.

The status quo imposed by the then imperialist forces (England and France) in 1923 with the Lausanne agreement in cooperation with the two reactive and racist states of the region (Turkey of Kemal and Persian Shah) against the Kurdish nation and of Kurdistan now dissolves.

The independence of this part of Kurdistan is the beginning in the course of the struggle of the Kurdish nation, which has a population of about 50 million in total for the future united and independent Kurdistan.

So self-determination! 
Independence of Kurdistan now!

From the Campaign for the Independence of Kurdistan, Hewlêr 22-9-2017. Photo: Seid Veroj

From the Campaign for the Independence of Kurdistan, Hewlêr 22-9-2017. Photo: Kurdistan 24