Delair Shaker

Delair Shaker started his journey in an environment surrounded by art, culture, and creativity. At home, Delair′s mentor was his father, Saad Shaker, a pioneer in ceramic art in Iraq, who instilled in him the love of art and appreciation of beauty in all forms. Since he was seven years old, Delair has spent most of his time in his father′s ceramic studio where he developed a great passion for clay. He, thereafter, pursued this passion and spent five years at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad learning and exploring the secrets of ceramic art.

In 1992, two years after his graduation, Delair moved to Jordan and established his own ceramic studio where he experimented the use of different materials with clay such as water, plexy glass, metal and wood.  His ceramic murals had rough surfaces of clay shaped by hand and then painted with bright contrasting colors to show depth. Delair took part in many group exhibitions held in Jordan and other countries in the Middle East.

Early 2005, Delair moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he currently resides, to continue his art journey seeking originality, vitality, and innovation.  His new art experience tells a story of color using various paint mediums, pieces of broken glass, ceramic, patterned cloth, bits of lace, sand and fire to create inimitable landscapes of color on canvas and wood. One of the most paradigm elements of art used by Delair in his work is texture. His paintings are compositions of burnt up paper and cloth adorned with layers of brilliant colors and exotic patterns.  Delair strives to make the material, shapes, textures, and colors go beyond the traditional, into a realm of what is harmoniously unfamiliar and unique.

In the past five years, Delair participated in many exhibitions in Jordan, Tunisia, New York, Delaware, San Francisco, and Phoenix.