​​​​​​Biography​​​

Suad al-Attar's is part of a generation of artists who benefited from the educational foundation laid by art educators like Hafidh al-Droubi and Faiq Hassan. As one of Iraq's leading female artists, however, she is also a pioneer in her own right. Al-Attar earned degrees from Baghdad University and California State University. She also did graduate work in London, studying printmaking at the Wimbledon School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. Following her studies, al-Attar taught at the University of Baghdad. In 1965, the artist held a solo exhibition in Baghdad, becoming the first woman to do so. Her surreal canvases have a uniquely mysterious quality that resonate with Iraq's rich literary past. Al-Attar is counted among the many modern and contemporary Iraqi artists who are committed to preserving the cultural traditions of their homeland.

Suad al-Attar became actively engaged in the Iraqi art scene in the 1960s. However, her artistic output reached maturity in the 1970s. During this time Iraqi art gained unprecedented international exposure. The government frequently sponsored artists to travel for international art events and foreign artists were invited to participate in domestic art festivals and exhibitions. Al-Attar played a major role in this outward movement exhibiting extensively in international biennials, where she won a number of awards (specifically at biennials in London in 1978, Cairo in 1984, Brazil in 1985, and Malta in 1995). Al-Attar also participated in the London-based Third World Biennial of Graphic Art in 1980 which brought together printmakers from various nations in collective exploration of the media.

Although al-Attar has lived in London since 1976, she has remained faithful to the cultural heritage of her birthplace. She has embraced Iraq's folkloric past drawing inspiration from Arab poetry, history, and mythology. Winged and composite creatures make a regular appearance as subject matter for the artist, recalling Assyrian and Sumerian visual culture. Other common motifs like palm trees, horses, and peacocks are also indicative of Mesopotamian, as well as medieval Islamic, influence. These subjects have since become powerful symbols for Iraq itself. In addition, classical and contemp​orary poetry​ of the region has been a constant source of inspiration for the artist. The ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh for example provided a literary backdrop for al-Attar's visual interpretations of the story's setting and characters. The artist also draws textual parallels in more obvious ways by weaving calligraphic poetry in and around her landscapes and figures.

Her vision of Iraq's past and present is imbued with fantastical properties. Al-Attar's oeuvre is composed of a kaleidoscope of surreal landscapes, mythical creatures, and epic characters. Even the artist's portraits are infused with a dreamlike quality. The phantasmagoric nature of al-Attar's canvases con​jure imaginative tales of days past and transports the viewer to an otherworldly space. Oftentimes utilizing a monochromatic color scheme, her characters emerge from fantastic landscapes or fading architecture. They gaze out at the viewer, inviting them to participate in an emotive and epic narrative as if the audience is the ultimate interpreter of the enigmatic scene.

Encouraged by her graphic sensitivity, much of her work is flat, linear, and emblematic. Pattern and ornamentation play a central role in her compositions. It has been suggested that al-Attar developed her style based on Islamic miniatures. Although her canvases can be quite large, this influence can be clearly seen in al-Attar's treatment of plant life, her attention to minute detail, and in her use of decorative patterning. Furthermore, there seems to be an effort towards beautification and novelty of design that is ever-present in both instances.

Al-Attar's visual interpretations of poetry and folklore are deeply personal and provocative in a way that is distinct and still resonates with viewers. Although al-Attar's oeuvre can and should be viewed within the tradition modern Iraqi inaugurated by the work of such figures as Faiq Hassan and Jewad Selim, her art also contains introspective qualities that hint at an underlying femininity. She has developed a personalized set of symbols that disclose an intimate engagement with her subjects through self-exploration and remembrance. Derived from her childhood memories these symbols include gold for the domes of the city, a fish for the Tigris, and a rooster for life in Baghdad; all reminders of home. Indeed, Al-Attar's blending of dreamscape and reality is transformative leading the viewer to a metaphysical understanding of Iraq's rich cultural heritage. Ultimately, however, this understanding is mediated through the artist​'s private emotive lens.

Al-Attar's more recent works continue this emotively imaginative quality, yet at the same time also engage more directly with current national realities, exploring and expressing the trauma that Iraq has suffered since the 1990s.

Al-Attar's work is held in both private and public collections, including many prestigious art institutions like the British Museum and the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar. Unfortunately, her work is also featured on the Iraqi National Museum of Modern Art's Red List, meaning her work was looted from the museum in the wake of the US-led invasion.

Exhibitions

Awards and Honors

Keywords

Academy of Fine Art in Baghdad, California State University, printmaking, graphic arts, Wimbledon School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design, Mesopotamia, introspective, mystical, metaphysical, landscape, composite creatures, Epic of Gilgamesh, Islamic miniatures, biennials, symbolism.

Bibliography

Albemarle Gallery. Suad al-Attar. London: Albemarle Gallery, 1999.

Ali, Wijdan. Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity. Gainsville: Florida University Press, 1997.

Ali, Wijdan. Contemporary Art from the Islamic World. Amman: The Royal Society of Fine Arts, Essex, England: Scorpion Publishing, 1989. 

Jabra, Jabra I. The Grass Roots of Iraqi Art. Jersey: Wasit Graphic and Publishing Limited, 1983.

Kalsi, Jyoti. "Dreaming of a Better World," Gulf News, December 7, 2006. Accessed February 21, 2014. http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/visual-performing-arts-2.313/dreaming-of-a-better-world-1.39799.

Mudaffar, May. "Iraq." In Contemporary Art from the Islamic World, edited by Wijdan Ali. (Amman: The Royal Society of Fine Arts, Essex, England: Scorpion Publishing, 1989), 159-174.

Porter, Venetia. Word Into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East. London: The British Museum Press, 2006.

Qabbani, Nizar and Angus Stewart. Suad al-Attar. Translated by Suheil Bushrui. London: Al-Madad Foundation, 2004.

Further Reading

"Art and Artist Suad al-Attar Asmahan Alkarjosli" YouTube.com, 2013. Accessed February 21, 2014. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM2DPsqokjU.

Bahrani, Zainab and Nada Shabout. Modernism and Iraq. New York: Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University Press, 2009.

The British Museum Online. "Suad al-Attar (Iraq-UK), Inspiration from a poem, hand colored soft-ground etching and aquatint artist's proof," britishmuseum.org, 2014. Accessed February 21, 2014. https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/museum_and_exhibition/word_into_art/suad_al-attar_iraq-uk,_inspi.aspx. 

Shabout, Nada. Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art. Exhibition catalogue. Doha: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar Museum Authority, 2010.