"Baghdad", Samah Karwi

I am Samah Karwi, aged 44. I came from Iraq, the land of Mesopotamia . The land of civilization, art, history and literature. The first civilization issuing laws to regulate human life.

I’ve worked as a programmer, accountant, executive secretary and public relations coordinator, as well as an activist in civil society organizations. I’ve participated in many events to serve the human being, freedom and dignity.

I came to UK 3 years ago after I got a threatening letter, and live alone in Birmingham now. I left behind my children, my family and my home.

All I have now is the art to express what I feel inside a combination of pain of the past and hope for the future.

I’m opening my arms to you with love, roses and gratitude, and I’m sharing with you as a human being my love for art and my love for life.

My Art work is called “Baghdad”, the city I came from. Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and the painting represents (Baghdad ) written as an Arabic word ( بــغــداد ), in a way that merges all the traditional symbols of my culture: the architecture of the city called “Shanashel”; the Palm date tree; the mosque dome; the Evil eye is a superstitious curse or legend believed to be cast by bad dates, going back to the 6^th Century; the small boats called “Mashoof” are used for fishing and transporting in rivers (Euphrates and Tigris) in southern Iraq.

اقدم لكم عملي بعنوان ( بغداد ) ، من حيث اتيت . بغداد عاصمة العراق .

كتب اسم بغداد بشكل فني يوضح بعض المعالم الحضارية للمدينة ، الشناشيل كواجهة اعمارية للبناء و قبة المسجد وعين الحسد كاحدى الخرافات و الاساطير التي كانو يآمنون بها في القرن السادس و المشحوف كوسيلة للنقل و التجارة مازال يتم استخدامها ليومنا هذا في الاهوار جنوب العراق و النخلة رمز الخير و العطاء

Hear Samah describe her painting in English and in Arabic below: -

Samah Karwi