Kadhim Hayder was an artist, printmaker, theatre set designer, and organiser whose visual arts practice contributed to the development of Iraqi Modernism. Exploring religious rituals, rites, and performance, Hayder’s artistic references borrow from the ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh (ca. 2150–1400 BCE) and the Battle of Karbala (680 CE) during which Husayn Ibn Ali, the grandson of prophet Muhammad, was martyred in a battle against the Umayyad caliph Yazid. The reverberating consequences of this battle deepened the chasm between Shia and Sunni Muslims concerning issues of succession and custodianship of Islam and led to the division of empires and nations. The battle has also been depicted in visual culture, literature, sermons, and in Ta’ziyeh – a passion play originating in the Islamic world that centres on Husayn’s martyrdom, which is performed in Iraq, Iran, and elsewhere. Hayder’s paintings illustrated the abstract symbolism from the epic of Karbala. In his work Thalathat Ashkhas Raqm 20 (1970), imagery from Ta’ziyeh and ancient fables is evident, serving as a moral study on the transformations and divisions within modern societies.
This is the first time the work of Kadhim Hayder is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Sara Raza
