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…