Meem Gallery is pleased to present the final part of five exhibitions displaying contemporary Iraqi art. Curated by Dia Al-Azzawi, Art in Iraq Today: Part IV will exhibit the recent work of Ali Jabbar, Halim Al-Karim and Mahmoud Obaidi. The exhibition, and its supporting catalogue, is dedicated to the memory of Jabra Ibrahim Jabra and his seminal essays on modern Iraqi art, titled ‘Art in Iraq Today.’

Art in Iraqi: Part I, held in October 2010, exhibited the recent work of Modhir Ahmed, Nedim Kufi and Hanaa Malallah; Part II, in November 2010, displayed the work of Ghassan Ghaib, Kareem Risan and Nazar Yahya; Part III, which opened in February, showcased the paintings of Himat M. Ali, Amar Dawod and Delair Shaker; and Part IV exhibited the work of modern masters Dia Al-Azzawi, Rafa Al-Nasiri (both founders of the New Vision Group in 1969) and Ali Talib. The exhibition series finale show will take place in November this year. Meem Editions will also be launching the book Art in Iraq Today, which is an outgrowth of the gallery’s Iraqi art project, featuring essays by the exhibited artists as well as May Muzaffar, Farouk Yousif, Nada Shabout, Georges Rabbath and Samar Faruqi, later this year.

ALI JABBAR
Ali Jabbar (b. Missan, 1963) is a graduate of Baghdad’s Institute of Fine Arts (1987) and Academy of Fine Arts (1990) and has a Graphic Design diploma from KKA Copenhagen School. He has held solo exhibitions including KM235 Gallery, Hamburg, 1994, Torre Vella Museum Salou, 2002, Hernin Art Musuem, Herning, 2005, Hay Hill Gallery (an exhibition with fifty-two works by Auguste Rodin), London; and Karim Gallery, Amman, 2011. Jabbar has participated in numerous group exhibitions, festivals and biennales including Modern Iraqi Art, National Art Museum, Baghdad, 1984; Baghdad Group Exhibitions, Citizen Culture house, Copenhagen, 1996; International Sculpture Symposium, Beirut, 2000; Tehran International Biennial, Tehran Museum Contemporary Art, Tehran, 2005; and the Painting Symposium, Normandy, 2010. His awards include First Prize in Painting (1985) and Third Prize in Painting (1987), Iraqi Modern Arts Festival, Baghdad; First Prize in Sculpture, Dubai Sculpture Symposium, Dubai, 2005; and First Prize in Sculpture, Tehran Sculpture Symposium, Tehran, 2007. Jabbar, who is both a painter and sculptor, will be exhibiting his sculptural works at Meem. He has stated that his sculptures ‘look like edifices and remnants of civilisations from vanished ages, which I observe anew with a modern eye.’ Public works by the artists include five stone monuments in Turkey, one in Oman, Bahrain and Beirut. He lives and works in London.

HALIM AL-KARIM
Halim Al-Karim (b. Najaf, 1963) holds a BA in Ceramics from the Academy of Fine Arts, Baghdad, (1988) and a BA from Gerrit Reitveld Academy, Amsterdam (2000). He has held numerous solo exhibitions including French Cultural Center, Amman, 1993, Fibeitt Gallery, Amsterdam, 2000, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, 2007, XVA Gallery, Dubai 2009, and Darat Al Funun, Amman, 2010. He has also participated in group exhibitions, festivals and biennales including Salon d’Automne, Sursock Museum, Beirut, 1994; Musée des Metiers de Mercure, Larochelle, 1997; Paul Klee Museum, Bern, 2009; Saatchi Gallery, 2009; and Peripheral Vision, Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, 2010. His work is held in public collections including Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, Mathaf: Arab Musuem of Modern Art, Doha, Royal Association of Fine Arts, Amman, Saatchi Gallery, London, Sovereign Art Foundation, Hong Kong; Sursock Museum, Beirut, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Regarding his art, Al-Karim has stated: ‘My works dwell on the evolving mentality of urban society. I am concerned with ongoing and unresolved issues, specifically those that relate to violence – the kinds which are generated through corrupt, political agendas of society’s leaders.’ He lives and works in Denver, Colarado and Dubai.

MAHMOUD OBAIDI
Mahmoud Obaidi (b. Baghdad, 1966) is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Baghdad (1990) and holds New Media and Film Producing and Directing diplomas from Ryerson University, Toronto (1996) and HIF Film Academy, Los Angeles (1996 and 1998), he also holds an MA in Fine Art from University of Guelph, Ontario (1999). His solo exhibitions include Museum of Modern Art, Baghdad, 1990, Darat Al Funun, 1995, Stevenson Hall, Toronto, 1998, 4 Walls Gallery, Amman, 2002, and Fair Skies, Agial Gallery, Art Dubai, Dubai, 2010. He has participated in group exhibitions, festivals and biennales including Contemporary Arab Artists, Darat Al Funun, Amman, 1995; KHOJ International Festival, Delhi, 1999; Dafater: Contemporary Iraqi Book Art, University of North Texas University, Denton, Texas, 2005; Modernism and Iraq, Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University, New York, 2009; and Beyond the War, LTMH Gallery, New York, 2010. His work is held in public collections including Mathaf: Museum of Modern Arab Art, Doha, Museums of Modern Art, Amman, Baghdad and Quebec, Sharjah Museum, Sharjah, and Tidi Gallery Collection, New York. Obaidi is particularly interested in exploring the conceptual side of art stating: ‘The conceptual has always been the most important aspect of my work, regardless of the medium in which I am working. In fact, it is the concept behind the work that dictates my choice of medium—whichever I believe conveys my intended meaning best.’ He lives and works in Toronto.