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"THE DREAM OF A CHILD"

                    Interview with Abd A. Masoud, Artist

















































                                     the inspiration for the   before it goes to  teen paintings. One day,
            The Dream of a Child is
                                     sixteen paintings sho-  Budapest in April. So   while talking to the
            the story of a child's
                                     wing The Dream of a     now we leave the floor   Jordanian Ambassador in
            dream. It can be any
                                     Child --  about indepen-  to Abd Masoud         Vienna Mr. Queisi. I was
            child, your child, my
                                     dence, family, peace,                           requesting his support for
            child, your niece or
            nephew. Abd A. Masoud    etc. Each painting  0: How did you get the      this exhibition. We showed
            is a true artist with a big   shows a different dream   idea for the exhibition?   it for the first time in the
                                     and tells a story about                         United Nations Building in
            heart. He is rather reser-
                                     what children really  The main idea behind this   Vienna and now, thanks to
            ved and likes to live a
                                     want. In co-operation   exhibition came about three   His Excellency Mr. Madi,
            quiet and modest life in
                                     with all Jordanian  years ago, when I was wat-  here in Geneva.
            Austria where he has
                                     Embassies abroad the    ching a documentary film on
            also opened a gallery
                                     artist will donate the art-  TV on violence towards   0: Are you a full-time
            where other artists may
                                     works for charity. The   children around the world.   artist?
            exhibit their work free
                                     whole series will be  In this film, one of the child-
            of charge because, he
                                     sold at auction in  ren was talking to older peo-  I left my job in the Jordanian
            says: "being an artist is
                                     Amman and all pro-      ple and said: "Let us live our   Embassy four years ago and
            not easy and many are
                                     ceeds will go to benefit   childhood" and another one   started a private art gallery
            facing very hard times
                                     a child welfare associa-  said: "Let us live in peace."   in Vienna. It's a not-for-pro-
            these days."
                                     tion in Jordan. We had   So these words remained in   fit association, and I'm
                                     the opportunity to meet   my mind. I started to make   trying to connect artists
            It was after having seen
                                     the artist here in  notes for this story, The   from different countries
            a documentary film on
                                     Geneva where he is  Dream of a Child, and then I   without charging any fees. I
            television that he had
                                     showing his "story"  started to sketch these six-   bought an old house in
                                                                                                 4 2010 Diva 29

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