“The Blacksmith Walied Khoury is a resident of Fassuta, a Christian village on the Lebanese border, which turned overnight from a pastoral village into a town on the war front.
Khoury, a native of the village most of his life worked in a family business, but one day he found his true calling and his life changed.
Today he is a blacksmith, a locksmith, and a metal craftsman, creates unique tools, preserves traditional blacksmithing, and leads workshops for working with iron. Walied’s sculptures are exhibited around the world and even won him several prizes in iron sculpture competitions in England and Italy.
The current exhibition presents a new body of work created especially for the exhibition, which reflects the complex reality of life as a child experiences it; The house is no longer a safe place, life has turned upside down, and despite everything, out of silence and sadness new sculptures are born, difficult and painful, but not giving up hope and faith in goodness.
Iron hands cry out to the sky. The world is a cage and the home is displaced. The roots drag him on a journey of uncertainty. Work tools like refugees, crammed into a box, wandering together as faithful friends.
“Grating”, which might have inspired admiration for a traditional work method, has become an item from the Middle Ages in the current context. Looking for someone to jail.
In the sculpture “The Ability” the view is from the house courtyard. Is this a scene of destruction or construction? What does the golden hand ask for? Are you shouting “stop” or are you celebrating a disaster?
What is hidden in the prophet’s gaze? What does he see? Does he know something we don’t?
In the sculpture “Continuity” the heart seeks balance, collects fragments, and continues to beat, and above it, the sun rises, as a symbol of hope for a new day, order in our lives, home, roots, light, and creation.”
– Asia Dublin, Exhibition Curator
Opening of the Exhibition: July 13, 2024
Closing of the Exhibition: November 30, 2024
The Space Gallery is located in the JNF-USA Information Center for Akko and the Western Galilee under the management of Western Galilee Now.
Where? 168 Saleh al-Din St., Old Akko (at the entrance to the market)
Opening Hours: Thursdays 10 am – 3 pm, Fridays 10 am – 1 pm, Saturdays 10:30 am – 3:30 pm
Walied Khoury began working with iron at the age of 40. Since then he has participated in contests and won prizes in Israel and abroad.
Western Galilee Now is a registered non-profit grassroots organization (NGO) promoting awareness and appreciation for the region’s boutique wines, beers, food and produce, along with its cultural diversity, its historic traditions and the area’s scenic routes nestled between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea acting as a Chamber of Commerce to boutique tourism operators in the region.
We expose the visitors to the unique heritage and hospitality through workshops, culinary events, art, music, guides tours, festivals and also through our Tourist Information Center in Akko, owned by JNF USA which we were chosen to operate since Jan. 2016.
Our vision is to develop local and foreign tourism based on close cooperation between all the interested parties in the region.
Come and Taste Experience Discover – the Westen Galilee is NOW!
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