Murtaza Al-Jassani
Exhibitions and Projects
9th Pioneer Festival – awarded with Certificate of appreciation 2016
Tokyo Open Exhibition 2016
10th Pionneer Festival – awarded with Certificate of appreciation and Medal of Creativity
Exhibition of Iraqi Fashion House – awarded with Certificate of appreciation 2017
Tokyo Open Exhibition 2017
Assifi Festival in Marocco 2020
Own exhibitions:
‘Hibber Mutamerd’ at the Fine Arts Hall in Baghdad in 2017
‘Maqamet Al-Hub’ at Iraqi Cultural Center in Baghdad in 2019
Joint projects:
‘Tajjali Al-Jameel’ with Lebanese poet Bilal Al- Masry in 2020
‘Photo Khatt’ with the photographer Ahmed Mahmoud in 2020
Works acquired amongst others in Iraq, Emirates, Sweden, Holland and selected as newspaper covers (most notably the issue of Liberating Mosul in 2016).
Artist Statement
Regarding my works, inspiration often appears as a flash or is similar to a light that takes you by surprise, then from it is born an idea that gives rise to other ideas and so on. Your own culture has the largest share; all the exhibitions I have had have dealt with personal ideas and philosophies, the aim being a cultural and philosophical enlightenment that I can present through the art of calligraphy. Calligraphy has a recognized classical side, but I think it has artistic constituents that cannot be restricted. I try to show others the philosophy of writing and at the same time my own philosophy on life. For me, the art of Arabic calligraphy is an international expressive art that can not be limited only to Arabic-speaking peoples, but is a category of art that expresses the artist’s thoughts, so my works have a special theme that expresses me in the first place either culturally, sentimentally or philosophically. This is portrayed in my works-recognized as well as in the East and the West.