A Russian state museum has opened an exhibition featuring artwork by Aisha Gaddafi, the daughter of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, dedicated to her father’s memory.
Aisha, 47, the only biological daughter of Gaddafi, who ruled Libya from 1969 until his death in 2011 during a NATO-backed uprising, is showcasing her art for the first time in this exhibit at the State Museum of Oriental Art. Among the pieces is a poignant painting of a crowd gathered around the bodies of her father and brother, capturing the moment as bystanders take photos of the slain leaders with their smartphones.
In a statement ahead of the exhibit’s opening, Aisha Gaddafi expressed, “These works are not just painted by hand, but with my heart, in honor of my father and brother on the anniversary of their deaths.”
Following the 2011 uprising, Aisha fled Libya. She lost her husband and two children in NATO airstrikes and later gave birth to her fourth child in Algeria, eventually settling in Oman.
Igor Spivak, chairman of the Russian Mideast Society and organizer of the exhibit, said the idea for the exhibition came during a visit to Oman, where Aisha agreed to share her art. He emphasized that the Russian people hold affection for both her and her father.