This March, Meem Gallery will present a solo exhibition of the work of celebrated Iraqi artist, Dia al-Azzawi.
Painted in Dia al-Azzawi’s recently established studio in Lebanon, set back from the water in a shady grove just next to Nabu Museum, which was opened in October 2018, these recent paintings exude a fresh vibrancy that may have sprung from the change of scenery— especially the change between London and the tranquil and picturesque northern Lebanese coastal town of Chekka, close to the city of Batroun.
Azzawi as an artist has never been restricted in his exploration of time, space or creative imagination. While he may often use a distinct range of colours and some typical cultural motifs and artistic techniques, the worlds he creates within his canvases truly know no bounds.
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Dia al-Azzawi’s artwork has been exhibited worldwide including a comprehensive retrospective held at Mathaf , Doha in 2016 – his work has been collected by many museums and institutions including the Museums of Modern Art in Baghdad, Damascus and Tunis; Tate Modern, London; Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA); Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha; Kinda Foundation, Saudi Arabia; Una Foundation, Casablanca; Arab Monetary Fund, Abu Dhabi; Development Fund, Kuwait; Jeddah International Airport; British Museum, Tate Modern, and Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Institut du Monde Arabe, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and Colas Foundation, Paris; Harba Collection, Iraq and Italy; Gulbenkian Collection, Barcelona; Library of Congress, and the World Bank, Washington, DC.
