Haire (Pearl Fisheries)

Iraqi artist Dia al-Azzawi’s blinds contemporary visual language with historical cultural references. Themes of exile, identity, resilience, and the wider political and human experience are common in his work. His signature use of bold, saturated and vibrant colours adds further depth to these ideas.

Azzawi created the Khalijiyyat series during an art residency in Doha. He took inspiration from Gulf culture before the major changes that followed the discovery of oil. This key painting, Haire, named after the pearl fisheries of the Arabian Gulf, shows both the energy and the difficulty of life in the region before its modernisation. The artwork features wave-like shapes that intertwined with a single hand; a symbol of resilience and determination.

Azzawi also includes patterns from traditional Qatari women’s fabric giving the piece a strong cultural presence and turning it into a richly layered visual story.