Omar Zingaro Bhatia

Poetry Book Launch

In the years of 2012 and 2013 I took part in a writers residency in the mountains of Transylvania in a very strange place called Borsec. The Romanian poet Florin Dan was the organiser of the residency as well as both a contributor and co-creator of this anthology. He was very kind to include my poems in this, the second edition. He is coming all the way from Romania with a suitcase full of books for two launches in both England and Scotland. Join us for the Scottish event in The Old Hairdressers on Renfield Lane (Across from Stereo Cafe Bar). The book will be on sale for the special price of just £5.

VENUE ~ THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS

The Scenographer

For the past two and a half years I have worked as a member of the Front of House staff at the Citizens Theatre, presenting a welcoming environment to theatre-goers and facilitating their various needs. This allowed me to subsidise my freelance artistic pursuits as well as working in a job which is within the creative industries. For a while though, I found myself wondering if my talents could be utilised back-stage. After some time sniffing around I tracked down the scent of the head set-designer/scene-painter and he was pretty enthusiastic about my recent history in mural painting. I was delighted to learn that I was to have a job as a scene-painter working on the production of a new show. And so it began...say hello to Omar Zingaro Bhatia - Casual Scenographer. I have included some pictures of the painting workshop I took hurriedly between working on the set. Of particular note are the giant canvas winches that date back to the Victorian era! I really look forward to developing new skills in this frontier.

Victorian canvas winch.

The pulley system.

The sinks.

First days training.

Sea Serpents

Sea Serpents, A3 LTD Edition Photograph (1 of 3). £50

The Elvis Comb

Pablo Picasso took an old bicycle saddle and handle-bars and combined them to create the form of a bull. It was a ludicrously simple act, but one that went down in history. Two ordinary objects became something else when combined...something sprinkled with the magic dust of that old leviathan of the art world. This is my offering, 72 years after the bull was born in Picasso's mind.

The Elvis Comb, 12"x13", framed photograph & comb, 2014AD. £80

Original Romanistan Design

This colour sketch marked an important moment in my journey as an artist. I consider it to be a marker of my genesis from a graduate artist into one of a more international standing. This was the bones from which I constructed a major European commission. I'd never attempted a design of such complexity and ultimately, such scale. To take a drawing of such a humble size and transform it into a 19-metre-long mural was quite the task but, once completed, made me the artist I am today. Now, 8 months later, I'm ready to let one fortunate person own the original design. Enquiries - zingaromar@gmail.com

Romanistan, 12"x17", watercolours & inks, 2013AD. SOLD

The Panelist

I'm tremendously humbled and excited to have been invited to contribute to a stage discussion in Zurich, Switzerland in June this year. I am being hosted in my role as a contributing artist to the Bodvalenke Fresco Village Project and a Roma rights advocate. The event will be a unique mixture of stage forum discussion, a Punk/Celtic/Balkan/Gypsy benefit concert and a photographic exhibition of the Bodvalenke Fresco Village Project (including my own mural Romanistan). All profits will go directly to support the project in Hungary.

Read the full press release HERE.

Magic Carpet Mural

I was delighted to receive my first Scottish mural commission in the Leith area of our capital city of Edinburgh. Part of The Shutter Project, the mural was facilitated by LeithLate and the the City of Edinburgh Council's Leith Neighbourhood Partnership. Special thanks go out to Morvern Cunningham at LeithLate14.

The decorative mural, painted in acrylics, took me approximately 20 hours to complete and features psychedelic-esque magic carpet patterns in a visual celebration of Leiths evident interculturalism.

I am very keen to secure my next mural commission so if you are looking for a mural for your business, home interior, or feel your community could benefit then please do not hesitate to contact me for enquiries, rates...etc.

Enquiries to: zingaromar@gmail.com

BEFORE.

AFTER.

The finished Magic Carpet Mural.

Photo: Eoin Carey

Inside Zone - A Poetry Book

So there we have it, I am now officially a published poet. All the works by five poets are collected in this second edition of Inside Zone. The poetry was created along a number of years at the Borsec writers residency in the mountains of Transylvania in which I took part in the early summers of 2012 and 2013. Right now, I just have this one copy but it is very likely that we will have an official book-launch in Scotland in the very near future.

The book is published by Zidul de Hârtie.

Cover by George Serdiuc.

Delivered from Romania to Scotland by Florin Dan.

Reading our tome.

Mithraic

The Mithraic Portal, 8"x14", pencils & watercolour, 2014AD. £150

Creep

Creepy Terry, 5"x6", watercolour, pencils, ink, 2014AD. £40

International Women's Day

Frida, 7"x10", acrylics, inks & watercolours, 2014AD. £150

L'érotisme

L'érotisme, A4, acrylics, 2014AD. £120

Mt. Heffer

Mount Heffer, 7.5"x10", collage, 2014AD. £50

B.P.D

B.P.D, 7"x12", acrylics, 2014AD. £150

Black Caesar

Black Caesar, 7.5"x9", pencil & watercolour, 2014AD. £100

The dread pirate Black Caesar was said to have taken part in the slave uprising on the Caribbean island of Haiti in the early years of the 19th century. After escaping his slave-masters, he took to the high seas and began a successful but albeit savage career in piracy that lasted for more than 30 years. Although there were many tales passed down through buccaneers, privateers, navy men and sailors; historical evidence of the existence of Black Caesar has never been found; the same goes for his silver and gold treasure buried throughout the Caribbean. The legend lives on.

The Hand That Feeds

I have a few pieces in this show. Pop along to see a vast array of artists work in a fantastic new arts space in Glasgow. Friday, 13th December, 6-9pm. It's next door to Mandors on Renfrew Street, up what must be the steepest wheelchair ramp in Scotland.

UPDATE: SHOW NOW CLOSED DUE TO STORM DAMAGE

LTD Edition Prints

There have been many people over the years since I graduated that have really wanted to buy a painting but have perhaps been unable to afford an original. It is for these people that I have had these premium prints made. I hope the one you've always wanted is there.

Limited Edition Fine Art Prints.

No.1 - 'Malice' / 12"x16" / £50
No.2 - 'Lupus of Ukraine' / 14"x16" / £70
No.3 - 'The Dude' / 12"x16" / £50
No.4 - 'View in Blue' / 17"x21" (or 6"x8") / £70/£20
No.5 - 'Waitress' / 13"x16" / £50
No.6 - 'Niet Mondrian' / 13"x16" (or 8"x10") / £50/£25
No.7 - 'Sitting Bull' / 13"x16" / £50
No.8 - 'Flavia' / 17"x21" / £70
No.9 - 'Vulturescu' / 9"x12" / £30
No.10 - 'Woland' / 17"x21" / £70
No.11 - 'Kenneth' / 17"x21" (or 8"x10") / £70/£25
No.12 - 'Vanity' / 13"x16" / £50
No.13 - 'The Batman' / 15"x15" / £40
No.14 - 'Death Letter' / 12"x17" (or 6"x8") / £50/£20

Premium Fine Art Giclée Prints. Ultrachrome HDR Inks. Full colour calibration with X-Rite Spectroproofer. Printed on Innova 315gsm paper. All prints come numbered, signed, wrapped and boarded with a wood backing. Please email zingaromar@gmail.com to purchase.