Ayyam Gallery Beirut presents You’ll Never Thrill Me Because You’ll Never Kill Me, an exhibition by Iraqi artist Athier, who explores symbols of nationhood, displacement and conflict in his recent body of work.
Athier’s artistic practice has often focused on Iraq and the diasporic relationship he has with his native country. Within his vibrant and semi-abstract canvases, the artist layers Islamic geometry with organic figurative forms, which split to reveal a liminal area seemingly beyond the picture plane.
In his recent work, Athier focuses on what he considers to be an addiction to conflict in the Arab world, even in those not actively involved in conflict. He identifies this ‘addiction’ in the constant desire to either discuss death and destruction, or absorb images and footage of this. Athier sees this not just in the behaviour of other members of the Arab diaspora, but in his own; his personal preoccupation reflects both his desire to feel a connection with the region, and to ease the guilt felt at not participating in any conflicts after relocating to Europe before the Gulf War.
