Iraqi Artist Sarah Sabah Proves That from Destruction Comes Creation
They say that ‘from destruction comes creation’ and in the case of 22-year-old Iraqi artist Sarah Sabah that seems to be an accurate statement.
Having been born and educated in the Al-Hamdaniya district of Iraq, Sabah was exposed to the death and destruction and despair of the war from a very young age. ‘During the occupation of Mosul, I was painting and crying with the brush in my hands,’ she told Alwatan Newspaper.
‘I started this hobby when I entered primary school,’ she explained. ‘With the help of my parents and friends who insisted on self-development, I worked hard and eventually reached success.’
Resilience and determination became watchwords as Sabah pursued her dream refusing to let anything obstruct her path. ‘I encountered great difficulties at the beginning of my artistic career,’ she says. ‘It was a difficult journey.’
Finding inspiration through experience, most of Sabah’s work – which is both realist and surrealist – embodies the harsh and gritty reality of war. Here you can see her latest piece about churches that suffered destruction during the occupation of Mosul:
Featured image credit: Sarah Sabah
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