International Plastic Artist LOUAY KAYALI
   

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Louay Kayali
1934: He was born in Aleppo on Sunday 21st January (5th Shawal 1352 Hijra).
1945: He began his career in painting.
1952: The first exhibition his painting were at Al-Tajhis Al-Oula School at Aleppo (Al-Mamoun. High School).
1954: He got his High school certificate, and enrolled with the Faculty of Law/Syrian University (University of Damascus).
1955: He participated in a Fair which was sponsored by the university. He won his 2nd prize .
1956: He passed the contest arranged by Ministry of Education,   and then he was delegated Italy to study Painting at the Academy   of Fine Arts in Rome.
1958: His creative capacity exploded while he was studying Arts in Rome, and began to participate in art fairs and contests.
He was granted the first award in Sicilia Contest sponsored by the Italian- Arabic Relations in Rome.
1959: He was granted He was granted many awards, one of which was the Golden Medal For Foreigners at Ravenna Contest.
He made his own personal first Fair at La Fonta Nella Hall. While continuing his academic studies, he moved on from painting Decorating.
1960: With his colleague Fateh- Al Mudaress, they represented Syria at the Binalah Fair in Venice - Italy .
He made his 2nd Fair at the Fair Hall in Rome.
He was granted 3rd prize in the Gobio city contest in which 21 states contributed.
He was granted 2nd prize in Alatrei Contest.
October 17: 2nd exhibition at the Art Gallery in Rome.



His Golden Days

His 6th Fair
1961: He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome- Dept.  of Decoration. He started his career as an arts teacher at Damascus state schools.
He made his 3rd appearance at the International Modern Art Hall exhibition in Damascus, where he presented 28 oil paintings on  canvas and 30 sketches. These paintings unexceptionally attracted the attention of artists, writers and the public.
1962: He moved on from teaching at the state Schools to teach painting and decoration with the Higher Institute of Fine Arts  (later on known as Faculty of Fine Arts).
April 5 : He made his 4th Fair appearance at the International Modern Art Hall in Damascus.
1964: October 3, : He made his 5th appearance at Cairola Hall in Milan.
1965: March 18, : He made his 6th appearance at Alkarbinieh Hall In Rome.
in very elegant creation he painted his painting (THEN WHAT?) ( × cm) in which he expressed the tragedy of the Palestinian Arab Refugees.
During his golden period, he had painted many portraits.



His Psychologic Crisis

For the Sake of Cause
1966: During this year symptoms of a psychological crises began to show. He started to paint many gruesome charcoal paintings representing the torture and struggle man.
1967:On April 24th Louay made his 7th appearance at the Damascus Arab Cultural Center, in the name of "For the Sake of Cause" in which he exhibited 30 gaudy charcoal paintings. This exhibition moved among many Syrian Cities.
As a result of this exhibition, he was attacked by offensive criticism by a group of artists and journalists.
At the end of this exhibition he destroyed all his paintings, but one which was a study of a man in a battle-field.
As a result he quit paintings.
1968: His psychological crisis became serious and aggravated, he left teaching and stayed isolated in his house in Damascus before he departed for Aleppo.
1969: January: Relatives accompanied him to Beirut for medical treatment by the Syrian doctor, the professor at the American University Dr. Alaaeddin Al-Droubi; he in order to restore his psychological health.
At the beginning of 1969/1970; He began to teach at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus but his health began to deteriorate once more.
1970: : January 10: His father died in Aleppo.
January 28: I accompanied him from Damascus to Beirut to be treated by his own doctor.
He came back to painting at his place of birth. In Aleppo.
1971: February 26: He was given a Pension for healthy reasons, and was given a monthly pension of 142.50 Syrian Pounds.
He began to participate in the exhibition made by Association of Fine Arts (which was recently established).
In April: He presented a gift «two paintings to the People's Council» and two paintings to the General Federation of Women.
1972: His psychological state returned. On June 16th he demanded that I destroy the painting of a man in a battle-field.
Having regained some of his health and strength, he claimed that he has gone back to painting continuously with enthusiasm.
On September 25th he expressed his doubt in his ability to paint portraits.
November: He made his 8th appearance at the house of his doctor Dr. Alaa Aldeen Aldroubi in Beirut.



Golden Days Come back Again

his 9th Fair at the People's Hall for Fine Arts At Damascus
1973: For the first time, he was the sole owner of a humble home    in Aleppo, which he bought from his success in paintings, in addition to a loan he got from the Real-Estate bank.
1974: June 11: He made his 9th Fair at the People's Hall for Fine   Arts in Damascus. A symposium about this fair has exhibition been arranged in the Hall of Fine Arts . His colleague Mr.Mamdouh Kashlan, President of Association of Fine Arts, a wrote a book addressed: /Louai KAYALI/.
1975: March 4: He made his 10th appearance at Gallery one in Beirut.
1976: January: The «Al-Aalam Al-Arab» Magazine in Canada Contributed by participating (42) paintings of Louai Kayali and Fateh Al-Mudarres (owned by owner of magazine who was a Syrian emigrant during the Two Weeks of the Arab Culture arranged and sponsored by «OBLEF ORG.» in Montreal.
In Spring, he painted a painting / From the Inspiration of Arwad / which he presented as a gift to the National Museum Of Damascus: (400×125cm).
April 22: He exhibited with his colleague Fateh Al-Mudarres an exhibition at the Hall of the National Museum of Aleppo sponsored by Ass. of Fine Arts.
June 1st: He made his 11th appearance at the people's Hall Of Fine Arts at Damascus in which he presented (45) paintings (which were all sold before opening the exhibition ).



The Relapse and burning to Death!!

Louay Kyale with plastic artist Salah Al Din Mohammad in 1977
1977: In Spring: He painted his paintings (From the countryside) as  a favor to the National Museum of Aleppo (300×180cm).
May 7: He left for the Jordanian capital carrying his painting to be  the exhibited at Aliyah Gallery, but the exhibition was cancelled     due to certain mistakes. This event had a great influence upon him.
June 1st: He made his 12th appearance at the People's Hall of Fine Arts under the auspices of Ministry or Culture.
He was exposed to attacks of artists and writers from Aleppo.
He decided to immigrate to Italy, so he sold his house and everything he owned and left the country in December dreaming that he would practice in Rome in a better atmosphere.

1978: February: He came back to Aleppo disappointed.
He lived in solitude and became addicted to tranquillizers and drugs as if he was committing suicide gradually at the sight of his acquaintances.
The night of 9-10 September: He burned in his bed. He was taken by plane (Helicopter) from Aleppo University Hospital to the Military Hospital at Harasts town (North to Damascus).
Tuesday, December 26th: He died at Harasta Hospital; and the next day was buried at «Al-Saliheen Cemetery» in Aleppo.



After Decease

Portrait of Louay Kyale by artist Waheed Magarbeh
1979: February 20: an Eulogy ceremony had been arranged at      the National House of Books at Aleppo, made by the Association      of Fine Arts with the cooperation of the Ministry of Culture.
In the evening of same day, an exhibition of his works had been opened at the Hall of the National Museum of Aleppo.
1983:November 23: On the 5th anniversary of his death, an  exhibition for his works had been made by Eibla Hall with the cooperation of the Ministry of Culture.
1984: On the 5th Anniversary of his death, «Al-Hayat Al-Tashkilieh» magazine (a seasonal magazine issued by Ministry of Culture) prepared a special file about him which was published in issue no .  15-April/1984.
1989: February: An exhibition for his works had been made in the memory of his 10th anniversary to his death titled: ( Louay is always in mind) under the auspices of Umayad House for Letters and Arts at Aleppo and Ministry of Culture.
March 6, A symposium in Aleppo about his art arranged by branch of Ass. of Fine arts and Umayad House for Letters and Arts in the Cultural Center.
May: Dr. Sabah Kabbani, in cooperation with Syrian Arab T.V. prepared a T.V. program on «Arab Visions» which included an analytical study of the tableau «From the inspiration of Award» (owned by the National Museum Of Damascus).
1994: April 2: An exhibition for his works in the memory of his 15th anniversary of his death to be made at Al-Sayed Hall at Damascus city under the auspices of Minister of Culture, Dr. Najah Al-Attar.
April: a Symposium about his Art in Al Sayed Hall.

By Mr. Fadel El Sibai
Member of the United Arab Writers
Damascus, 1994