From Mosul to Aleppo.. An Iraqi Painter Transforms Bullet Holes of Wars into Artistic Works

- In an artistic space where memory intersects with destruction, Iraqi painter Makhlad Habib presents a unique creative experience that redefines the relationship between art and war, transforming destroyed walls and bullet holes into artistic elements that carry humanitarian messages transcending geographical and conflict boundaries. From Mosul to Aleppo, Habib continues to build his artistic world from within pain, turning the place into a space for contemplation and re-imagination.

Habib stated that the launch of his project came from his awareness of a familiar daily reality in war-torn cities, where devastation becomes part of daily life, prompting him to attempt to break this harsh feeling by reintroducing joy and optimism into these environments. He emphasized that people's interaction with his works, whether through smiles or astonishment, is at the core of what he seeks, as it serves as evidence of the possibility of life and beauty flourishing even amidst destruction. Habib clarified in an interview with Afaq News in Arabic about his artistic methodology that he does not resort to hiding bullet holes, but rather treats them as a visual foundation for building the work, considering that each hole is a starting point around which layers of beauty are constructed in the very place left by war.

In the same context, he stressed that leaving the traces of war visible in his works is a deliberate choice that carries a direct message, namely that reconstruction does not mean erasing memory, explaining that these visual scars transform into a discourse directed at those who wage war. The Iraqi painter also touched on his field experience working on buildings that carry deep human and historical memory, noting that talent for him is not a privilege but a moral responsibility towards others.

He recalled that he worked under difficult conditions alongside his wife, who accompanied and supported him, pointing to an incident where he sustained an injury due to an explosion of a solvent caused by heat, before local residents rushed to help him, which gave him an additional motivation to continue and dedicate his art to documenting their resilience and conveying their stories to the world. Habib, who has been dubbed the 'Banksy of Iraq' in homage to the British graffiti artist, affirmed that his art transcends being a psychological remedy or visual documentation, becoming at the same time a living confrontation with the past.

He also pointed out that the region he belongs to is characterized by its religious, cultural, and historical diversity, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which has contributed to the production of a rich human legacy in the fields of science, philosophy, and art. He believes that this diversity makes it impossible to reduce societies to a single pattern, which he seeks to express visually through his works that document resilience, celebrate differences, and confront attempts to erase multiple identities. Regarding his return to cities like Aleppo in Syria, Habib noted that this experience changed his perspective on the world, emphasizing that repressive regimes and wars, despite their brutality, remain temporary, while humans and the land are more capable of enduring. He pointed out that these experiences impose a rethinking of human choices, advocating for love instead of division, and coexistence instead of conflict.

He concluded by affirming that the phrase "Make music, not war" is not just a repeated slogan in his works, but a stance he relies on in the face of all forms of violence.