Iraqi artist Dia Azzawi will have his Sabra Shatila composition displayed at the UK’s Tate Modern this July.
Sabra Shatila was created by Azzawi in response to the 1982 massacre of civilians in Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps during the Lebanese civil war. Described by Azzawi as “a manifesto of dismay and anger,” the exhibition tells the story of the massacre by combining a series of fragmented scenes that create a narrative invoking the brutality of war and human suffering. The composition displays silenced screams and outstretched hands; blood red and human and animal body parts reinforce the horror of the killings.
Azzawi is a London-based Iraqi artist who has created works addressing the issue of human suffering as a result of political instability since 1970. Previous works have explored the Palestinian plight, and his more recent works relate to the post-2003 destruction of Iraq.
