Omani sculptor wins regional award with striking creation

Muscat: A carving of a foot trampling a book has won a leading Omani sculptor second place and an excellence medal from Maker Falre Company.
The sculptor, Mohammed Al Baluchi won the award at the 2019 World Industry Exhibition at the World Trade Centre in Dubai, organised by Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award For Distinguished Academic Performance.
The sculptor explained the work, saying: “The message of the carving is that such thinking will lead to destruction. Many people are surprised when they see the work and say literature is insulted by having the foot on top.”
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Al Baluchi explain: “My intention was not to insult literature, but the truth is that there are books that propose ideas which may confuse young people’s thinking, leading them down a dark path, and ending with the loss of their lives. I wanted to warn young people not to blindly follow any ideas they read and to avoid books that carry extremist ideas.”
The medal will allow Mohammed Al Baulchi to participate in any Maker Faler sculpture exhibition around the world.
Great opportunity
The 35 year old Omani said: “I began sculpting in 2017 and since then I have completed more than 40 carvings from materials such as iron, rock, wood and cement. This prize is a great opportunity for me to participate in various exhibitions and competitions and I intend to work on more creative carvings”.
Al Baluchi said: “I would like to thank the management of the Omani Society for Fine Arts. I want to dedicate this achievement to my dear father for supporting me financially and morally since childhood, and to my all family and friends.”
“This exhibition is a link between the different artists of the world, an opportunity to share knowledge and everything new in the world of plastic arts,” Al Baluchi added.