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Work #1:

This first work is a fitting example of Azzawi’s close admiration with the ancient cultures of Iraq during his early years. The creation of Study for The Epic of Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh’s Struggle with the Wild Beasts was the result of Azzawi’s professor Taha Baqir’s encouragement, who had recently translated Akkadian poetry of The Epic of Gilgamesh into Arabic. Eventually, several of the drawings Azzawi completed for this series would be added to Baqir’s translations. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 60) In the composition of this work, both the figures of the beast and Gilgamesh are abstracted. Additionally, like much of his work, there is distinctive eyes given to his human figures, which can be traced back to his interest in Sumerian art and other Iraqi artists like Jewad Selim, who used elements of Mesopotamian art in his work. (Lee and Amrani 2023) Considering Azzawi’s work at the Museum of Iraq prior to his 1975 moving to London, he was likely exposure to Sumerian works directly that allow for a “Sumerian Gaze” to remain a common element of his work. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,16) Sumerian art, such as Sumerian votive statues have been cited as inspiration for this choice of distinctive eyes. In Azzawi’s work, the eyes of his figures are often the focus of the human like figures. Similarly, Iraqi excavations of Sumerian temples resulted in several figures with similarly large eyes and posing. (German 2023)

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Inspirations from the Distant Past: Mesopotamia and Iraqi Folklore

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Inspirations from the Distant Past: Mesopotamia and Iraqi Folklore

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Gouache and China ink on paper, 52 x 32 cm. Collection of Tala al-Azzawi White.

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#1: Study for The Epic of Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh’s Struggle with the Wild Beasts -1966

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#1: Study for The Epic of Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh’s Struggle with the Wild Beasts -1966

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AZ.DRA_.66–67.3-450x662. Study for The epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh's Struggle with the Wild Beasts-1966

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Oil on canvas. 99.5 × 99.5 cm. Collection of Tala al-Azzawi White.

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Considered one of the most notable modern Iraqi painters and sculptors, Dia al-Azzawi is known for his ability to portray devastation within the Arab world with a powerful focus on the shared history of the region, recalling these aspects often with distinctive use of colors and use of lines, as well as using symbols of antiquity to show his extensive understanding and appreciation for his own culture.

Born in 1939 Baghdad, Dia al-Azzawi witnessed firsthand much of the political unrest of Iraq during his early years, as well as some of the changing aspects of the art world. From a young age, Azzawi had shown an interest in drawing through the copying of magazines and handicrafts, as well as an interest in international art. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 31) With the support of his teachers,  during his secondary education at the al-Markaziyya school, Azzawi was presented with the opportunity to meet with the then King of Iraq, King Faisal II, about his some of his early work in 1956. During this meeting, he was promised the opportunity to study abroad in Rome, however, with the revolution and execution of the king the following year, this plan was abandoned and Azzawi’s hope of going abroad was put on hold. (Selections Arts Magazine 2023) In addition to his early artistic endeavors, the political atmosphere of Iraq was also of great importance to Azzawi and his peers. The same year that he was presented with the opportunity to meet King Faisal II, he participated in a demonstration over the Suez Canal crisis with his peers. (Selections Arts Magazine 2023) Involvement with such political causes continued to be a major theme in his work throughout his life.

After completion of his time at al-Markaziyya, Azzawi decided to study archeology at the College of Arts in Baghdad. During his time at University, Azzawi studied under notable Iraqi archeologists such as Taha Baqir, who would encourage him to study ancient literature, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, which Azzawi would then go onto create numerous works based around various symbols. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 32) In addition to his study of archeology, Azzawi also enrolled in evening classes at the Institute of Fine Arts, where he would begin to have his work influenced by other Iraqi artists presented at the Nadi al-Mansur Exhibition. By 1964, Azzawi was featured in the annual Iraqi Artist Exhibition in Baghdad with five of his paintings. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 33) Following this first exhibition, Azzawi was continually involved with many exhibitions and began developing his style further, as well as continue his academic career with a research program in Poland Once again, however, Azzawi was denied the opportunity, since he had been forced to complete military service in 1965. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 35) This continued to be a significant hindrance for Azzawi, as he was repeatedly called to complete service in the Iraqi military, eventually leading to him choosing to leave Iraqi because of it in 1976. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 43) After leaving Iraq, Azzawi moved to London, where he is based to this day.

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Ink and wax crayon on paper mounted on canvas. 3000 × 7500 mm.  Tate Collection.

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Closeup of Sabra and Shatila Massacre (1/2)

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Closeup of Sabra and Shatila Massacre (1/2)

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Closeup of Sabra and Shatila Massacre (2/2)

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Closeup of Sabra and Shatila Massacre (2/2)

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Creation of dafatir (artist books) and Sculptural Work

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Creation of dafatir (artist books) and Sculptural Work

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“...when language is [only] used for description, it can turn the painting into a soulless form. But when the poetry has an abstract meaning, the artwork can then be liberated from it to become an independent expression of its very own.”  (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 35)

Azzawi’s interest in poetry and creating a modern interpretation within the composition of his art resulted in the creation of dafatir, which is translated to mean artist book or notebook. Azzawi not only wished to use aspects of the Islamic manuscript tradition with his artist books, but also wished to create a newer composition based on the “...demands of the canvas in the Western sense.” (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,44) The early creation of dafatir functioned primarily as more traditional books physically, but as Azzawi explored sculpture after arriving in London. Later dafatir also began to have more sculptural elements, including objects such as cigar boxes and terracota. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 346)

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“The New Vision transformed Azzawi's work from being political to becoming politicized. It was precisely this politicization that added a confrontational aspect to his work during the late 1960s and early 1970’s.” (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 24) 

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“The New Vision transformed Azzawi's work from being political to becoming politicized. It was precisely this politicization that added a confrontational aspect to his work during the late 1960s and early 1970’s.” (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 24) 

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Condsidering the political climate and conflicts of the late 1960’s within the Arab world, many Arab artists began to form a need for a Pan-Arab identity. After the 1967 Arab defeat in Palestine during the Six Day War, this was only furthered, as Azzawi and many other Arab artists and writers wanted to project solidarity and the humanity within these crises with a shared identity. In 1969, along with five other Iraqi artists, the Towards A New Vision group was founded by Azzawi. (Lee and Amrani 2023) This group shared many similar goals to former generations of Iraqi artists, such as the “Pioneer generation” of artists, which had goals of unification of various cultures, but the Towards a New Vison group worked to keep the connections within the Arab world open and bring attention to the loss and suffering because of military conflicts. The group also attempted to expand their exhibitions, by creating more solo exhibitions and going beyond just having exhibitions in Iraq. (Obrist et al. 2023)  Azzawi’s work following the formation of this group shifted to a focus on projecting the struggles of the Palestinian resistance and collaborations with other writers and poets. (Lee and Amrani 2023) With many other military conflicts resulting in tragedy for various parts of the Arab world continuing throughout the years, Azzawi continued to create works of art that reflected certain events, often basing his works on his own viewings of these tragedies or through others firsthand accounts or poems about these tragedies.

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Watching Conflicts from Afar:  Palestine and Iraq 

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Watching Conflicts from Afar:  Palestine and Iraq 

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“We, who left our homeland, each carrying his reasons and dreams, were also tormented by the illusion of return.

A year and it will pass? But the years passed and we have become comfortable with our new lives. The days were repeating often... Wars came and the graves and prisons expanded all over the homeland, [so] that we started searching for excuses to ward off the delusion of return.

We often think of her when we remember what we carried with us of her youthful images, believing that what is in our memory is enough to take us back to that beautiful time. And we wonder in amazement when we exchange our failure with delving deeper into mundane life.” ” (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,465)

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Azzawi’s works follow certain themes based around the period and subject matter. However, several elements remain central to all his works. The most characteristic element to nearly all Azzawi’s works is his inspiration from elements of Iraqi history. For example, many of his early works, while in university and before the formation of the Towards a New Vision group, there was an exploration of various Mesopotamian mythology. With his Studies for the Epic of Gilgamesh series (1965-66) that was encouraged by his professor Taha Baqir, there is clear inspiration in taking this mythology and using Azzawi’s distinctive use of lines to create abstract representations of figures. Additionally, Azzawi's work is known for his use of a "non-rectilinear line" for defining figures and various forms, which has also been traced to his Sumerian influences. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 16)

As his subject matter began to expand, so did his choice of mediums, with his work in creating poetry illustrations, sculptures, and book art. In addition, in the late 1960’s, Azzawi began to also collaborate with an increasingly larger pool of Arab artists and movements.

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Charcoal and 
gouache on paper. 26 cm × 26 cm × 2 cm

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Work #2:

Although Waddah and His Beloved Rawda is not based on Mesopotamian mythology and comes instead from a story about a 7th-century poet named Waddah al-Yaman, there is still similar iconography in given to the figures within this painting and overall reflects Azzawi’s interest in capturing the cultural legacy of his home. This work has Azzawi’s distinctive use of a “Sumerian gaze” in the two figures present, as well as his typical use of a slightly curvy line and abstracted bodies of these two figures. The abstract aspect of these figures allows for them to become almost unrecognizable.

During the period when Azzawi completed this work, he cites a renewed interest in poetry and creating drawings based on them. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,36) However, given the context of this subject being much earlier than the contemporary poets Azzawi created drawings for, this work seems to fall more in line with his interests with antiquity. The story of Waddah al-Yaman is surrounded by legend, and much is not known about the poet’s death. Azzawi was particularly interested in the version of the legend that claimed that Waddah was so handsome that he was required to wear a mask to prevent open flirtation of women. Eventually when Waddah is on the Hijaz, he meets the Caliph’s wife Rawda, who he immediately falls in love with. This results in the poet being buried alive. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,36-37) This story’s themes of love and eventual tragedy reflect Azzawi’s interest in capturing ancient stories in a way that could also reflect a contemporary theme of love and loss.

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Work #6

Sabra Shatila was a Palestinian refugee camps located in Beirut, Lebanon, during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Starting on September 15th of 1982, while the negotiations of a ceasefire were being made with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, a Lebanese Christian Militia, armed by the Israeli army, killed over 3,000 unarmed Palestinians over the course of three days. (Ang 2022, 31)

Breaking away from his typical use of vibrant colors and primarily smaller works, Sabra and Shatila Massacre was a large mostly black ink drawing created in response to this event, with only a few areas with color. Azzawi created this work for several months in his London studio after watching television coverage and reading the extensive accounts of Jean Genet, who visited the refugee camp after the massacre. Additionally, this work takes inspiration from Pablo Picasso's 1937 Guernica. (Morgan 2011)

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#7: Land of Darkness (Bilad Al-Sawad) -1994

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#7: Land of Darkness (Bilad Al-Sawad) -1994

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 China ink on paper, 36 x 28 x 2 cm (length 395 cm)

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#3: Wait for Me by the Edge of the Sea: Youssef al-Sayigh -1983

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#3: Wait for Me by the Edge of the Sea: Youssef al-Sayigh -1983

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Work #7

In response to the Gulf Wars in Iraq, Azzawi created the series titled Land of Darkness. The name (Bilād al-Sawād) is taken from the historical name of Mesopotamia, which referred to dark soil of the region, which had now become less arable due to the war and petroleum. (Macmillan 2021, 186) The Gulf Wars began in 1990, by which point Azzawi had been away from his home of Iraq for many years, but with significant news coverage of this war, once again Azzawi created his works to bring attention and a sense of humanity to these conflicts. Notably, Azzawi’s works, despite their political associations, did not have this same direct focus on contemporary events in Iraq specifically until Land of Darkness. (Macmillan 2021,188) Like his Sabra and Shatila Massacre drawing, there is a continuation of the lack of vibrant colors, this time however, there is uses of brown and other more dull colors, likely alluding to the historical context of the title. Additionally, there is repeated use of these Sumerian type of masks, which had been in constant use throughout his career. Surrounding these masks, there are various limbs and abstract designs. Another aspect of iconography that can be observed is possibly a reference al-shmagh, Iraqi headdress, like the Palestinian keffiyeh, through the abstract patterning. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,28)

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“I am going to the water

to pull my shawl over the eyes of sad fish

to fill my cup at the sea’s home

with foam

and with shells for one living in exile.

I beg you, women of Basra,

if there is longing in you that can ripen the pollen between my lips

lean over me

withdraw from my body

because my lover’s house is weariness

his bed is made from the wood of a boat

that the fishermen neglected for centuries

and that the water put to use.”

(Lines 1-11 of Youssef al-Sayigh's Wait for Me by the Edge of the Sea)

(Translated by Emily Drumsta from   https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/35163)

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Acrylic on canvas. 300 cm × 450cm (triptych).

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Work #4:

Unlike other dafatir, such as his works created in direct response to poems, Azzawi’s series titled War Diaries, was meant as a response related to the destruction of Iraq during the Gulf Wars (1990-01). War Diary: Book of Darkness is notably devoid of color, aside from his use of red, like that of Azzawi’s other works about seeing such destruction from afar. Azzawi created this series during television coverage of the bombings of Iraq, which he would keep note of specific dates throughout his works. Book of Darkness was created after the bombing of 400 Iraqis in the Amiriyyah shelter on February 13 1991. (Macmillian, 2021, 186-187) Like Land of Darkness, which Azzawi would create later, there is the use of the ancient name for Mesopotamian, Darkness (al-sawād), referring to the fertility of the soil and as a possible reference to the destruction itself. (Macmillian, 2021, 187)

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Work #3:

Some of these artist books were based alone on his interpretations of various poems, such as Wait for Me by the Edge of the Sea: Youssef al-Sayigh, which Azzawi created the illustrations alongside the text of Youssef al-Sayigh's poem in 1972, but later created a separate dafatir for. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,44) This dafatir has a much more extensive and physical presence in its presentation compared to traditional poetry illustrations, as they do not function as a traditional book. Instead, the work is meant to be understood as Azzawi’s own emotional response to the work. The poem itself describes themes of loss, death, and love, which Azzawi explores farther in this work through this newer style of response to the poem.

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Work #8:

The Palestinian suffering and fights for liberation was considerable motivation behind the founding of Towards a New Vision group, as it was believed that they had a similar fight against the colonial occupation and military conflicts within the Arab world, as well as a shared identity throughout history. (Obrist et al. 2023) Like Azzawi’s Sabra and Shatila Massacre, Jenin was created in response to massacre of Palestinians in a refugee camp. In this work, Azzawi seemingly attempts not only to depict the tragedy and loss of human life, but also the Palestinian resistance during this event. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 412) Unlike much of his other work with similar subject manner that have many abstracted human figures in more chaotic arrangements, there is a single figure on each panel in this work. This figure has the typical “Sumerian gaze”, but its eyes are now shut in the left panel. The figure also is wearing a keffiyeh, which has barbed wire and flowers entangled throughout the fabric, symbolizing the heritage and current constraints of Palestinians. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017, 412) This work also continues the trends seen in Azzawi’s War Diaries and Land of Darkness in its color scheme, but specifically matches Azzawi’s signature use of red in the red handprints by his signature, which was common for his works based on such devastating events. (Macmillan 2021, 189)

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Back of: Al-Hawasime’s Wagen: Looters-2015

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Back of: Al-Hawasime’s Wagen: Looters-2015

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Work #5:

With Iraq having changed much since Azzawi’s departure in 1976 and hope for the situation to have improved throughout the many years of war and unrest, Azzawi consistently criticized the unnecessary destruction of human life and culture in his home. Prior to his departure, Azzawi worked for the Iraq Museum and supervised the creation of the Mosul Museum in 1968-70. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,37) Considering Azawi’s interest and expertise on Iraqi archaeology and preservation of his heritage, this work represents what has been lost to history through unnecessary destruction and looting of the Mosul Museum. (Macmillan 2021, 193) The work itself is quite large compared to former sculptures of Azzawi, as it is life-sized to represent the horror of these events, as three large boxes are labeled with Iraqi Museums as well as representations of various books and sculptures looted or burned during the destruction of these museums. (al-Azzawi et al. 2017,29)