Gallery eyes SSI client’s work

SSI Ignite Small Business Start-ups’ client and artist Bassam Jabar is attracting attention for his hand-made glass etchings, with interest from a renowned Victorian gallery. 

Bassam, originally from Iraq, made his way to Australia via Syria after being granted a humanitarian visa in August 2013.

He is currently supported by SSI’s Humanitarian Settlement Services program. Bassam is an artist who etches images on glass, a skill he developed while in Syria.

Bassam has been an Ignite client since May this year, and has since displayed his work as part of SSI and Sydney Amnesty International’s Art Is Our Voice exhibition. This exhibition was originally shown at University of Sydney’s The Verge Gallery, before touring to Holroyd Council Exhibition Space, Limelight Gallery at Sydney TAFE and StirrUp Gallery at Addison Road Community Centre, Marrickville.

These works and more have also been displayed and sold at the Bohemian Bazaar in Marrickville, and have now attracted attention from one of Australia’s leading contemporary art galleries, Kirra Galleries at Melbourne’s Federation Square where Bassam has four pieces under consideration by the commercial gallery which specialises in glass, sculpture and jewellery.

SSI’s Ignite Small Business Start-ups team is also working towards production of an Ignite business directory. The directory will include details of clients’ businesses with links to their websites and details of how people can purchase items and services from these talented new entrepreneurs. Businesses range from hand-made leather goods, and catering to photography, videography and cleaning services.

Another milestone for Ignite will be reached in November when a three month development and scoping project with University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) Shopfront is completed. A team of UTS Master of Business Administration students has volunteered to map potential future partnerships for Ignite and ways of expanding the initiative. Watch this space for more details.