WAMI is an artistic partnership quite rare in Iraq. Yasseen Wami (b. 1973, Basra, Iraq) and Hashim Taeeh (b. 1948, Basra, Iraq) work together to make installations of furniture from new and used cardboard. The modest material and basic, minimalist style they prefer are entirely at odds with a popular taste in Iraq for gilded home furnishings. Their ethos of “making do and getting by” – articulated with great wit – is a far cry from incongruous aspiration. Both artists come from Basra, south of Iraq, where they started their artistic collaboration. They exhibited together in several exhibitions, while continuing their independent practices.
Yasseen Wami and Hashim Taeeh, Untitled, 2013. Courtesy of the artists and Ruya Foundation.