In Conversation With : Ahmed Naji Final

Author Daf Beirut

A series of in depth interviews with Arthur Debsi, writer and researcher at Dalloul Art Foundation where he discusses various subjects with professionals in the Arab world.

Ahmed Naji - Independent Art Researcher and Cultural Consultant on Modern and Contemporary Iraqi Art

FINAL. During the war between Iraq and Iran from 1980 to 1988, the office of Mohamed Makiya (1914-2015) in London became a gallery, which operated over twenty years. The Kufa gallery was an art space, with the goal to promote Middle East art in the British capital city. More specifically, many exiled Iraqi artists from Baghdad could exhibit their works that Makiya himself acquired at that time and were consequently exposed to an international audience. In the final part of the conversation, Ahmed Naji explains the scope of the gallery and analyses the artworks of the artists Dia al-Azzawi (1939-), Ismael Fattah (1934 - 2004), and Faisal Laibi Sahi (1947-), revealing another aspect of their inspirations within their new environment.

Video recorded on Zoom by Arthur Debsi
Edited by Christine Labban