You often cite other artists with Iraqi roots who have moved abroad as an influence or at least among those with whom you empathise. What is the affinity you feel with these compatriots and their work? Since the very beginning, when we moved to Iraq, the work of Iraqi artists fascinated and intrigued me.  It was my husband, the...

The multi-media artist Maysaloun Faraj tells ArtScoops about how the challenges she faces as an artist, a woman, a muslim and an Iraqi living outside the motherland have affected her life experience and shaped her output as a painter, sculptor and ceramist   You work with paint, clay, wood and bronze and also have an architectural...

In an intriguing new series of works, Shahida Ahmed, a British-born artist based in the Middle East and UK, explores society’s failings and responsibilities to great effect.     All artists hope to generate a reaction from their work, whether it’s starting a dialogue, adding to a conversation or encouraging their audience to pause...

With its 900-piece candelabra, which features an array of exquisite glass lamps, the Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Mosque is inevitably a subject of great fascination for the Turkish glass artist Felekşan Onar. Here she tells Ahmad Minkara about her new documentary on the mosque’s history and features, titled ‘Esma’, which will be screened at the third...

Collage artist and educator, Haibat Balaa, tells ArtScoops about her passion for her media of choice and the work she has prepared for the 8th Beijing International Biennale Exhibition, China, 2019     Collage remains an unusual medium for an artist to work in today. What is it about collage that makes you feel it can best...

Drawing on her childhood in Abu Dhabi and time spent between Beirut and New York, Tala Worrell’s paintings provide thought-provoking, observational snapshots of a diverse mix of places and people     Like several other artists with Middle Eastern roots, you spent much of your childhood abroad. How has this influenced your...

The organisation’s platform, which has just gone live, promises a more interactive and enlightening experience for users keen to access its thousands of fascinating photographic objects     These are exciting times for the Arab Image Foundation, with the non-profit organisation having just moved this week into a highly anticipated...

Masoud Akhavanjam’s two large-scale, stainless steel structures on show at the Venice Biennale explore the choices we all face in life and their far-reaching consequences      Life’s age-old contradictions and the push and pull that conflicts produce have long been a source of fascination to the Iranian sculptor Masoud...

Sami Basbous’s latest multi-faceted show pays tribute to his beloved birthplace     The historic coastal city of Batroun inevitably has a special place in Sami Basbous’s heart, given that he was born there and his father’s family hails from the local village of Ghouma. However, the Beirut-based artist’s affection for this...