Jaber Alwan’s work addresses the human condition, conflicts in his homeland and icons of Iraqi culture such as the late Dia Majeed, and the 20th-century poet, Muhammad Mahdi al-Jawahiri. Typical of the artist’s penetrating dark palette and surreal colors, “Untitled” displays the artist’s characteristic thick, almost sculptural, brushwork that accentuates the drama of the scene. The black silhouetted figure, possibly a self portrait of the artist, is in contrast with the colorful canvas he is painting.

Jaber Alwan’s work addresses the human condition, conflicts in his homeland and icons of Iraqi culture such as the late Dia Majeed, and the 20th-century poet, Muhammad Mahdi al-Jawahiri. Typical of the artist’s penetrating dark palette and surreal colors, “Untitled” displays the artist’s characteristic thick, almost sculptural, brushwork which accentuates the drama of the figure inside the interior scene. The features on the face have a neutral expression, with the color symbolism, body motion and other elements inferring the work’s intent.