Loneliness

Christie’s is excited to present a beautiful piece by the Iraqi artist Afifa Aleiby, one of the earliest pieces of the artist to come up for auction. This comes at a time when the artist will be participating in a group exhibition with MoMA PS1 examining the legacies of American-led military engagement in Iraq. The present work Loneliness is classical in its subject and depiction, we are confronted both by a still life and a woman; her eyes are closed and her hand covers her mouth, while the viewer seems to be a bystander that gazes upon the woman without her knowing, waiting for her to look up. The backdrop of the work is enticing, the wind blows in from the open balcony and the red curtain floats above her. The single cloud behind her stands quietly alone in the sky and directly relates to the lonely feeling she confronts. Overall, the composition is deeply somber in mood, resulted from the dark and haunting still life which is contrasted by the inviting light coming from the background.