To celebrate National Iraqi Day, Khawla Art Gallery spoke to Amer Al Obaidi, the renowned Iraqi painter, based in the US. He discusses his influences, both from his home country and internationally.
Where does your passion for art come from?
I believe that a man is born with a lot of innate senses that lead him in a certain direction. When a child first holds a pen he will create random interlocking lines that give rise to his need to express something. Many parents encourage their children to practice painting.
When I was in primary school, my father told me to pay attention to the drawing skills that he felt I had a talent for. That’s basically what I’ve been doing ever since.
At middle school, I won first prize in a Babylon Province art contest with a collection of paintings about the Algerian liberation struggle. This led me to enter the Iraqi Institute of Fine Arts.
Which types of art or artists have inspired you?
I was initially inspired by Cubism. But after entering the Institute of Fine Arts, where I began lessons in the likes of sketching and colouring, the most influential teacher was Faiq Hassan, a distinguished exponent of a classical academic style. I was taught about the works of artists like Rembrandt – and wrote my graduation thesis about Rubens.
Every artist, after completing his academic studies, must do more independent research so he can find the style that distinguishes him as an artist. I developed different techniques of painting that ranged from an expressive approach to a modern treatment.
How were you able to establish a relationship between your upbringing in Iraq, with its ancient artistic relics, and Western-style concepts and applications?
I became interested in the Iraqi folk heritage and my work began to move towards eastern influences. But it was also necessary to address the concept of modern art. So the viewer of my work will find that it is painted in a modern way, keeping pace with global trends. But, at the same time, it is full of Iraqi spirit, symbols and characters that give it specific and clear identity.
My work now ranges from equestrian subjects to the Arab man, especially his creativity and his suffering through displacement, murder, marginalization, and persecution.
My first exhibition in the United States, in 2009, was entitled The Wounds of Immigrant. The works were in a modern style. I also participated in a group exhibition in the state of Iowa, where I live, and won first prize among hundreds of American artists.