22nd Oct, 2025 12:00
Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art
11
ISMAIL FATTAH (IRAQI, 1934-2004)
Untitled
ISMAIL FATTAH (IRAQI, 1934-2004)
Untitled
Signed in Arabic and dated '2002' on lower left, signed and dated 'Ismael 2002' on lower right
Acrylic on canvas
124.5cm x 104.5cm total (including frame)
Born in Basra in Iraq, Ismail Fattah was an Iraqi painter and sculptor known for his abstract art and monumental sculptures. He graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad and the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Fattah was known for painting abstract human faces and masks, which lacked key features such as eyes, mouths or ears, symbolising the loss of senses and social struggle of the people of Iraq.
The work captures nine faces, each one of them placed within a rectangular space and emphasised by a painted coloured frame. Each face becomes a metaphor for the Iraqi people; the fighters, the women, the intellectuals come together in a mosaic of faces that reveals the generalised feeling of unity in an unsteady social and political context.
Provenance
Green Art Gallery, Dubai
Acquired directly from the artist
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
Dubai Green Art Gallery, 'Ismail Fattah and Dia Azzawi', October 2002
Additional details
The work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Green Art Gallery
Estimated at £60,000 - £80,000
ISMAIL FATTAH (IRAQI, 1934-2004)
Untitled
Signed in Arabic and dated '2002' on lower left, signed and dated 'Ismael 2002' on lower right
Acrylic on canvas
124.5cm x 104.5cm total (including frame)
Born in Basra in Iraq, Ismail Fattah was an Iraqi painter and sculptor known for his abstract art and monumental sculptures. He graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad and the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Fattah was known for painting abstract human faces and masks, which lacked key features such as eyes, mouths or ears, symbolising the loss of senses and social struggle of the people of Iraq.
The work captures nine faces, each one of them placed within a rectangular space and emphasised by a painted coloured frame. Each face becomes a metaphor for the Iraqi people; the fighters, the women, the intellectuals come together in a mosaic of faces that reveals the generalised feeling of unity in an unsteady social and political context.
Provenance
Green Art Gallery, Dubai
Acquired directly from the artist
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
Dubai Green Art Gallery, 'Ismail Fattah and Dia Azzawi', October 2002
Additional details
The work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Green Art Gallery
Auction: Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, 22nd Oct, 2025
Over the course of the last two decades, Middle Eastern Modern and Contemporary Art has emerged as one of the most important areas of the art market, attracting significant attention internationally. At Azca, we are proud to provide a platform where the vibrant and rich artistic character of the Middle East can continue to be celebrated.
The sale highlights the works of visionary artists such as Ismail Fattah (Iraqi, 1934-2004), Sliman Mansour (Palestinian, b. 1947) and Louay Kayali (Syrian, 1934-1978) to name a few.
For more information contact: bids@azcaauctions.com
Viewing
Viewing times: 10 AM - 4 PM
Wednesday 15 October
Thursday 16 October
Friday 17 October
Monday 20 October
Tuesday 21 October
