Secret of Fold Up Squares

Life experiences heavily influence the visual identity of the contemporary artist Hanaa Malallah. While studying at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad, she was exposed to the philosophical and aesthetic approaches of pioneering figures, most notably Shakir Hassan Al Said. Inspired by the representation of cultural heritage in innovative forms, her methodologies delve into notions of the human condition and spiritualism.

Decades of destruction, beginning with the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s up to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, further established Malallah’s most distinctive style of mixed media. In a unique style that she developed, which she refers to as the ‘Ruins Technique,’ she utilises disfigured materials to demonstrate the intensity of the violence experienced by her native country. This method often involves burning found components to produce artworks reminiscent of places in ruin, as seen in this grid-like example of folded squares. Through this, she also addresses the aspect of decay.

In her process, which she views as a form of reproduction, Malallah emphasises the survival of material culture and uncovers what lies beneath its surface.