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Lot Essay
Painted in 1971, Dia Al-Azzawi's Architectural Composition is a mélange of symbols, forms, and ideas that unequivocally portray the artist’s blooming imagination, seeking inspiration from the intersection of his formal training in archaeology, fine arts and the ancient Mesopotamian cultures, Islamic calligraphic traditions, and modern abstraction. Conveying remarkably disparate, surprising, and yet somehow familiar meanings, the glaringly recurring motif in this vivid blue canvas is the form of the human eye, which invites a viewer to draw connections between the seen and unseen nature of tangible and intangible heritage. Demonstrating Al-Azzawi’s self-awareness, profound artistic proficiency, and animated appreciation for the vibrant cultural legacy of his birthplace, Iraq – this work embodies a modernist interpretation of traditional Iraqi art, skillfully weaving together an exceptional fusion of customary symbolism. His keen observation developed into a fascination for Iraqi symbols, particularly talismans imbued with positive energies, which appear in this painting, further endeavours to unravel, and elucidate their meanings.
This exceptional canvas from Al-Azzawi’s oeuvre is primed from his experience of living, studying and growing up in Baghdad, a place synonymously referred to in history as the ‘Centre of Learning’. Exemplified by the reference on the top-right, where six circles laid in each of the three successive rows of a total of eighteen dots, connecting and emanating from the two polar funnel-shaped devices, Al-Azzawi stylistically directs attention to noticing the changing rhythms of various cities. Using a visual metaphor, the artist communicates his layered thought processes, employing a semi-abstract approach to self-expression. He skillfully blends the past and present to unveil existential inquiries, almost creating a universal map of cultural exchanges amidst his experiences of living between them. In this painting, the interplay of letters and forms and their mysteries referencing the layout of Sumerian cities is a reflection of Al-Azzawi’s preoccupation with architectural configurations. As his career progressed, he skillfully merged these familiar details in an unpredictable and ingenious manner, creating iconic compositions that contributed to his global acclaim.
Al-Azzawi’s profound understanding of history and keen artistic sensibility plays a crucial role in characterising this work. He consistently draws inspiration from both Arab and Western artistic traditions. Al-Azzawi’s work forms part of numerous institutional collections worldwide and continues to be exhibited extensively in the Middle East, North Africa, the United States, India, Brazil, and Europe, including major retrospectives at Institut du monde arabe, Paris (2002); and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha (2016), displayed jointly.
This exceptional canvas from Al-Azzawi’s oeuvre is primed from his experience of living, studying and growing up in Baghdad, a place synonymously referred to in history as the ‘Centre of Learning’. Exemplified by the reference on the top-right, where six circles laid in each of the three successive rows of a total of eighteen dots, connecting and emanating from the two polar funnel-shaped devices, Al-Azzawi stylistically directs attention to noticing the changing rhythms of various cities. Using a visual metaphor, the artist communicates his layered thought processes, employing a semi-abstract approach to self-expression. He skillfully blends the past and present to unveil existential inquiries, almost creating a universal map of cultural exchanges amidst his experiences of living between them. In this painting, the interplay of letters and forms and their mysteries referencing the layout of Sumerian cities is a reflection of Al-Azzawi’s preoccupation with architectural configurations. As his career progressed, he skillfully merged these familiar details in an unpredictable and ingenious manner, creating iconic compositions that contributed to his global acclaim.
Al-Azzawi’s profound understanding of history and keen artistic sensibility plays a crucial role in characterising this work. He consistently draws inspiration from both Arab and Western artistic traditions. Al-Azzawi’s work forms part of numerous institutional collections worldwide and continues to be exhibited extensively in the Middle East, North Africa, the United States, India, Brazil, and Europe, including major retrospectives at Institut du monde arabe, Paris (2002); and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha (2016), displayed jointly.