Omar Hamdi

Omar Hamdi was a Syrian Kurdish artist who lived and worked in Vienna, Austria. He was born in 1952 in Al-Hasakah, Syria. He worked as a graphic artist for the Syrian press, where he also wrote articles on artistic criticism. He settled in Vienna in 1978 and was awarded Austrian nationality. He was known by his artistic name Malva, which means mallow in Arabic. He created paintings, sculptures, installations, and designs that reflected his Kurdish identity and culture, as well as his experiences of exile and migration. He also published books and essays on art, politics, and philosophy. He was a member of the International Association of Art Critics and the Vienna Secession. He participated in many exhibitions and festivals in Austria and abroad. He died of cancer in 2015 at the age of 63.