Iraq .. Two artists turned the streets and walls of their city of paintings

Zineb al-Arkwazi-Khanaqin / Iraq

In the city of Khanaqin (eastern Iraq), the Cooperative Action Committee launched a campaign to paint on the walls and facades of the buildings, and allowed room for the participation of young men and women in the decoration of the walls.

The two artists, Maher Taher and Hoda Saad Hussein, participated in the initiative. They participated in painting in the streets and public squares and on the facades of buildings or houses in villages and neighborhoods.

The artists consider that turning the walls into paintings adds beauty to the city and the streets, and emphasizes the importance of using these walls in useful works such as painting, adding aesthetic value to public places, and conveying a message of peace and peaceful coexistence.

The love of volunteer work
Despite graduating from the Institute of Fine Arts, she was unable to ignore the talent that God loved her. She continued to develop her talent for painting and to pursue her dream of being a civic activist.

"My love for volunteering, and my dream of being a well-known activist and artist, were the reasons for my involvement in the volunteer teams, including my joining the cooperative action committee. I was the first girl to join the committee as a volunteer civil activist."

Paint Art
"The painting on the walls started with me and my girlfriend for no fee. My goal was to turn the walls into paintings and decorative aesthetic paintings that would bring beauty to my city. I participated in painting on the walls of institutions and schools, and also painted anywhere for my city."

Maher stressed that during the campaign to beautify the streets of the city of Khanaqin, "we passed through many positions." She explained that "when we were drawing in crowded places and roads, I noticed the passersby's admiration for these drawings. They stood in front of her in awe, and sometimes we saw some harassment from passersby, but we preferred not to pay attention , To continue our work, and to communicate our message. "

Fingerprint Art in Life
"I feel proud and happy to be involved in leaving drawings on the walls of my beloved city," said Huda Saad Hussein, a young artist who collaborated with her friend in wall painting. "For me, it means an imprint, and art is life."

"Some customs and traditions still affect some women, but they are able to break these barriers, like the girl is in her home," she said. "It's a shame to stick a brush and paint on the walls in the streets.

Restore hope
"For the first time in the history of the city of Khanaqin, our committee is working to develop work in all fields of cooperative and creative work, including murals, music, English language training, hiking and building houses," said Salam Abdullah, a civil activist and writer. , Paving the streets, sewage, etc. "

According to Abdullah, remarkable work has been done in both areas. For example, a village street in Khanaqin has been transformed into the world's first walled street. The two young religions, Maher and Huda Saad, have a prominent role in the completion of many murals. They are characterized by ambition, will and challenge. Other artists in this campaign.

"We aspire through collaborative work to restore hope and focus on creativity and aesthetic values ​​through the culture of drawing on buildings and walls. These free cooperatives are the best consciousness, and we need to expand the culture of cooperatives in all fields, from art to music, According to Abdullah.

A cultural and aesthetic message
"The role of the artist in the beautification of his city is a key factor in the development of self and creativity, and the role of the artists' association of Khanaqin has left an imprint on the city's beautification and encourage young people to take their role and prove their ability in the artistic arena," he said.

He added that the murals carry a cultural and aesthetic message embodying the streets, streets and buildings of the city, in cooperation with other teams and committees working in this field, in order to encourage young people to impart aesthetic values ​​through the art of their cities and villages.