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In the 1990's, I created sculptures based on the daily experiences and struggle of the Iraqi people. At the time, many people were persecuted by the regime. This was especially the case of those belonging to the ethnic minorities, like myself. They had to struggle with feelings of fear, humiliation and the injustice of discrimination. This struggle against injustice and oppression is one shared by many people across the globe. It has become part of the human condition in the 21st century.
The violent acts of September 11 focused the attention of the world on the innocent civilians who get caught in the crossfires of politics. The husbands, wives, sons and daughters who were struck down and the families who lost their loved ones, are families that have suffered deep wounds. My family as well as many other families in Iraq, are all families in crisis. Families who have deep wounds from enduring 34 years of daily life under the thumb of a cruel dictator Since the occupation that started in March 2003, joblessness, hunger, fear, uncertainty, and feelings of despair with respect to a future without hope haunt the days and nights of my family in Iraq.
Many people have forgotten that this ancient land of Iraq is the land of Mesopotamia. This land is the land that gave us the legendary Tales of the 1001 Arabian Nights. This is the land of the legendary Garden of Eden. On this land, so many prophets have walked and been lain to rest. This is the fatherland of Abraham.
This is also the cradle of civilization where the first writing was invented, where the wheel was invented, where the first laws were written and where the first story of the flood was told.
The Iraqis are a people deservedly proud of their magnificent cultural heritage. That this land of proud people blessed with such fertile imagination and creativity have now had such destruction and pain inflicted upon them, makes their present plight all the more tragic.
In October 2003, I returned from a month long visit to the place of my birth after an absence of 23 years. On my return, I started producing drawing recalling images and emotions generated from my conversations with friends, relatives and my family. Traveling through different cities in Iraq, I got a clearer picture of the extent of the destruction that has devastated the lives of the people. These drawing express their outrage and frustration. These drawings also express the desperate levels of poverty and despair that is their current ordeal.
I also produced a series of 90 terracotta figures. Fifty-eight of these figures represent my relatives. A large majority of my relatives are women. These terra cotta figures are small (4”-12”) The style in which they have been modeled is an impressionist one, accentuating the mysterious beauty of the traditional billowy robes of the desert. In this work, I celebrate my family, their inner beauty, their love of life and will to survive. This work is stylized in a way that celebrates Iraqi culture. Some of the work is as playful and humorous as the personalities of his extended family and friends.
In this exhibition, my recent works reflect the dreams for the future that Iraqi people have. The moms, dads and kids of Iraq have dreams too, just like everyone else. In my pastels that show colorful veils fluttering in the breeze, these veils represent magical dreams of freedom, hope and peace. With my recent sculpture, I aim to represent the invisible spirit and soul and make it visible. All my figures peer out at the world and ask what will follow next. They look with anticipation, with hope. They are vulnerable but they love life and have a will to survive.
These works have traveled to many communities of the Hudson Valley as part of a Humanitarian Relief Benefit Exhibit. These shows were very special exhibits dedicated to helping families in need. The exhibits included sculpture s in terracotta and bronze as well as pastels and drawings Each terracotta piece is a rare Collectors Item because it is a unique one-of-a–kind piece. No molds have been made of these pieces. The terracotta figures that represent my relatives and friends are more than beautiful works of art. They represent a lifeline of support to a tight and loving family that desperately wants to survive the privations of war.
