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When the Wild Instruments Sing: new installation by Sherko Abbas

When the Wild Instruments Sing is Sherko Abbas Abdul-Razaq’s latest project, which he presented for the second time at the Goldsmith’s MFA degree show last week. Abdul-Razaq created a custom-made instrument, using spokes, matches and small explosives. The spokes, known as damaqashan in Iraq, were often used by children to make toy guns. It is a…

The lingering presence of Saddam: Jamal Penjweny at the Ikon Gallery from 19 February

We interviewed Jamal Penjweny about his upcoming show Saddam is Here, which opens on February 19 at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham. What influenced the series Saddam is Here? I suppose it was the memory of Saddam Hussein as a child. His presence was so pervasive: we saw him on TV, in classrooms, on the…

Kurdish Elegies: Cheeman Ismaeel

Cheeman Ismaeel (b. 1966, Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan) is a painter who applies her decorative style not only to canvases but also to household objects, such as a television, a clock, an oil heater and a lunchbox. The proposition is refreshingly personal and unpretentious, blurring the line conventionally drawn between fine and decorative art. Her attempt to…

Tomouh, fathers and godfathers: Jamal Penjweny

Which artist has influenced your work? When I was young I discovered a book about Michelangelo. I grew up in Kurdistan and never really went to school. I looked at Michelangelo’s work and made my own sculptures. As I grew older, I realised that art was personal and had to come from within. I…