Dia al-Azzawi’s poetry book is up for discussion at UNT’s Iraqi art symposium
|
|
|
|
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
|
|
|
|
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
|
|
Pages of Prophecy
The first recorded human civilization arose thousands of years ago in what is now Iraq, and with it came some of the earliest examples of art, in the form of Mesopotamian sculpture and relief carving. That area of the world is now in turmoil, as is its art and even its art history, thanks to the looting of the Iraqi National Museum two years ago shortly after the U.S. invasion. Still, Iraqi art carries on, as can be seen in UNT’s new art exhibit Dafatir, which takes its title from the Arabic word for “notebooks.” The 17 artists in this exhibition all produce their art in book form, a medium that has been proliferating among that country’s artists recently. The books here range in style from abstract to representational and in subject matter from poetry to current events. The private collection belongs to Dia al-Azzawi, a London-based artist whose work is among those here. Like al-Azzawi, some of the artists in the show toil in exile, while others continue their labors in Iraq itself. (Two of them, Ismail Fattah and Shakir Hassan al-Said, have been killed in the past 18 months.)
The exhibit’s opening is accompanied by a symposium on Iraqi art and culture. Two of the artists in the show, Hana Mullalah and Kareem Rissan (both based in Baghdad), will be discussing their work, while other scheduled participants include Dr. Zainab Behrani and UNT art history professor Nada Shabout. The day of lectures and presentations will bring us up to date on the cliché-defying developments in the art world where the U.S. is heavily invested.
The symposium is 10am-5pm Mon in Rm 223, UNT Art Bldg, west of Mulberry & Welch sts, Denton. Admission is free. Call 940-565-4005
Email this Article...
