nahraine_alkhafaji
ArtEvol 2025 / Nahraine Al-Khafaji
Fertile Crescent , 2025 Oil on linen, ceramic, war-issued memorabilia, steel Painting: 90 x 150 cm Sculptures: 140 × 18 × 16 cm
Nahraine Al-Khafaji was raised between England and the Middle East. Al-Khafaji’s practice reflects on the fragility of history, particularly in the aftermath of catastrophe, when events once recorded in enduring materials are later found destroyed or rendered unintelligible. Fragmented forms and the removal of paint from laboured surfaces echo the erasure of humanity’s timeline. Al-Khafaji draws on incidents such as the looting of the Baghdad Museum and attacks on archaeological sites, highlighting the way conflict has made history a direct target. Concern for the preservation of heritage underpins the work, questioning why Iraqi history appears safer when buried than when unearthed and housed in museums. Al-Khafaji creates paintings that compel viewers to push further in search of meaning, yet always confront the limits of understanding where histories remain only partially documented.
Artwork Introduction
Fertile Crescent responds to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, during which the Iraq National Museum was looted and over 15,000 artefacts were stolen or destroyed. Iconic pieces, including the Warka Vase, along with statues, tablets and seals, were lost or damaged. During the looting, the Tell Asmar figures remained untouched. In this installation, Nahraine Al-Khafaji displays a copy of a female idol from the Tell Asmar hoard as a fractured artefact, reflecting the condition of the surrounding ancient collection. Opposite stands a British war-issued helmet, projecting Al-Khafaji’s perception of her current home invading her ancestral one. This contrast frames struggles surrounding national identity faced by Iraqi people living in the United Kingdom, both during the invasion and today. The visual parallels between the objects create triadic narratives. Through museum-like displays, the work encourages observation of the objects as symbols of the past, while highlighting the continued consequences for Iraqis. Fertile Crescent explores identity and displacement, curating the losses and complexities endured by those most directly affected by the 2003 Iraqi invasion.
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