Mustafa Arruf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mustafa Arruf
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| Born |
Mustafa Hamed Moh Arruf
8 June 1958 |
| Died | 10 February 2025 (aged 66) |
| Known for | Bronze sculpture, abstract expressionism |
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Notable work
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Mustafa Hamed Moh Arruf (born June 8, 1958 – died February 10, 2025) was a famous Spanish sculptor. He was known for creating amazing sculptures, especially out of bronze. His art often showed a mix of different styles, from realistic figures to more abstract shapes.
Life and Art
Mustafa Arruf was born in Melilla, a Spanish city in North Africa, in 1958. He started learning art at a special school in his hometown. Later, he continued his art studies in Granada, Spain. From a young age, he loved both painting and sculpture.
He worked with different materials like wood, stone, and bronze. But he found that bronze was the best way to show his artistic ideas.
In the mid-1980s, Mustafa moved to Germany. He showed many of his artworks there, including some at the House of Spain in Frankfurt. After a short time in Holland, he moved to Madrid in the 1990s. This was a very busy and creative time for him. He worked with a bronze foundry (a place where metal is cast) and an art gallery.
Later, he taught art in public programs. He also became a restorer at the Archaeological Museum in Melilla. This meant he helped fix and preserve old artworks.
Mustafa Arruf's sculptures can be found in many places. You can see his art in public squares, streets, parks, and even inside government buildings in different countries. His work is very diverse. It combines beautiful decorative parts with deeper, more meaningful ideas.
He created many busts (sculptures of a person's head and shoulders) and statues of famous people. These people were often from or connected to his hometown of Melilla. For example, he made sculptures of teachers, painters, writers, and architects.
Mustafa also made modern, avant-garde sculptures. These pieces often had strong differences in their design. They might mix flat parts with big volumes, or smooth textures with rough ones. Many of his works used diagonal lines and circular shapes. This gave his sculptures a feeling of movement and balance.
In 1997, he won a competition in Melilla. He created a huge sculpture called Encuentros, which means Meetings. This became his most famous and largest artwork. A smaller copy of half of this sculpture is in the Juan Carlos I Park in Madrid. Another copy of the other half is in the Park of the Three Cultures in Toledo.
Mustafa Arruf explained the meaning of Encuentros:
Encounters means union of cultures, of continents, of people. It is the embrace of continents and cultures. The word "Encuentros" is very significant. This type of sculptures allows many interpretations because the mind is free. I put "Encuentros" as I could have put something else, but philosophy is the union of cultures, of Mother Earth.
In 2002, he created a series of sculptures of women. These were made for the city of Melilla to help beautify it. These works were realistic but also used geometric shapes, often with a spiral design.
Mustafa Arruf passed away on February 10, 2025, when he was 66 years old.
Main Works
Mustafa Arruf created many sculptures throughout his career. Here are some of his important works:
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- 1985: Bust of Juan Caro. This bronze sculpture is 1.60 meters tall and is at the Juan Caro Public School in Melilla.
- 1988: Ambro Bank. A stone relief sculpture made in Amsterdam, Holland.
- 1991: Bust of Victorio Manchón. A bronze sculpture, 1.67 meters tall, displayed in Melilla.
- 1992: Torso. A bronze sculpture, 1.70 meters tall, located in Melilla.
- 1993: Monument to Miguel Fernandez. A bronze sculpture, 2.00 meters tall, in Melilla.
- 1994: Bust of Fernando Arrabal. Made of bronze and weathering steel, located in Melilla.
- 1997: Torso. A bronze sculpture, 1.70 meters tall, outside the Museum of Modern Art in Tromso, Norway.
- 1997: Monument Encuentro. Located in Melilla, made of bronze and weathering steel. It is 12 and 10 meters tall.
- 1997: Monument Encuentro. A copy of the Melilla sculpture, 12 meters tall, in Juan Carlos I Park in Madrid.
- 1997: Bust of General Cabanillas. Made of bronze.
- 1998: Torso. A bronze sculpture, 1.70 meters tall, in Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid.
- 1999: Monument Encuentros. A 3-meter tall sculpture made of weathering steel, located in Melilla.
- 2002: Bust of Lieutenant Legionnaire Aguilar. A 3-meter tall bronze sculpture in Melilla.
- 2003: Ten bronze sculptures along the Paseo Maritimo Francisco Mir Berlanga in Melilla.
- 2007: Monument to theater director Cesar Jimenez. Made of bronze.
- 2008: Project-Monument to Pablo Ruiz Picasso in Malaga.
- 2009: Monument to Enrique Nieto (a Spanish architect) in Melilla.
- 2013: Restoration of the monument to Pedro de Estopiñan in Melilla.
His works can be found in public areas in these cities:
- Ámsterdam (Netherlands)
- Berlín (Germany)
- Huelva (Spain)
- Madrid (Spain)
- Melilla (Spain)
- Toledo (Spain)
- Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid (Spain)
- Tromsø (Norway)
Exhibitions and Awards
Mustafa Arruf's art was shown in many exhibitions around the world. He also received special awards for his talent.
He participated in the International Fair of Modern Art in Madrid in 1997. His sculpture Encuentros received an award at Melilla's International Film Week in 1997. He also had collective exhibitions with other artists, including famous writer Fernando Arrabal, in cities like Milan, Valencia, Paris, and Lisbon.
In 1981, he won the Second National Prize in the Sculpture Biennial of Castellón for his work called "Mother." In 2003, the city of Melilla honored him by naming a street after him.
See also
In Spanish: Mustafa Arruf para niños
