For the past few weeks I have struggled quite a bit with creative block which has left me a bit behind my group mates. But recently I discovered this Iraqi artist who I resonate with on so many levels, to a point where they helped cure my art block.
THE ARTIST
Maryam, otherwise known as Afadedrose, is an Assyrian/Kurdish oil painter who explores the delicate boundary between surrealism and pop art. As a refugee from Iraq, she found solace and purpose in a medium that allows her not only to express herself but also to give voice to the countless individuals in the Middle East who remain ensnared in turmoil, to those silenced by the ravages of war and colonialism.
Her chosen color palette – black, white, and red – is an extension of her and my identity and essence. Growing up amidst the chaos of the 2003 Iraq war was a time where the world seemed to be painted in black and white, the red symbolising the bloodshed of innocents.
Afadedrose.work/store <——— her website
