Erbil art exhibition spotlights political realities and women's voices
Shafaq News / The city of Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan Region, hosted a girls' art exhibition on Tuesday, featuring the participation of students from the Institute of Fine Arts.
The exhibition stood out for its collection of visual artworks that depicted political and religious realities, as well as issues related to women and society.
Ala Kamal, one of the participating artists, shared with Shafaq News Agency, "One of the paintings I exhibited represents several barrels from which black and red fluid flows, symbolizing the reality of Iraq as an oil-rich country." She explained, "The black fluid represents the oil that flows out of the barrels to other countries, while the red fluid represents the blood of Iraqi youth who die or are killed without benefiting from this oil."
Another artwork exhibited by Ala depicted shackles intertwined around pens, books, a phone, and the gavel of justice. The artist explained that it represents "the reality of freedom of opinion and expression, where the shackles around the pens symbolize the restrictions on writing and publishing. Similarly, the shackles around the phone represent the limitations imposed on publishing and expression. This applies to all the elements depicted in the painting, reflecting the restrictions present in the Iraqi reality."
When asked about her choice to create artworks that reflect political realities, Ala replied, "This is because of the impact of this reality on every individual in society, whether male or female."
Another artist, Khadija Salim, who exhibited a painting depicting a spinning wheel surrounded by several mirrors, expressed, "This painting represents religion and how some people distort it. The colorful mirrors represent the beauty of religion in its essence, while the broken beads beneath the spinning wheel symbolize this distortion."
The exhibition also featured other artworks addressing women's issues, the harmful effects of smoking on individuals and children, and various other topics.
Our correspondent reported that the exhibition will continue until the 18th of May.
