Artists in Focus 2023 - Coffee Table Book by Magzoid Magazine

Ismail Khayat
Iraq
Ismail worked hard throughout the years to express various themes through
his artwork, including stories about his early recollections, nature, the
history of his people, and women’s rights. The establishment of a new school
in the Middle East was the primary objective of his work; it was a milestone
that was successfully attained, and the effort put forth was well worth it. In
practically every item he creates, he frequently displays his emotions and his
outlook on life.
“Over the years, I strove to tell different stories with my artworks; stories about
my childhood memories, nature, the history of my people, and women’s rights. I
often express my feelings and vision for life in almost every piece I draw on,” says
Ismail.
He also discovers that he doesn’t worry too much about the materials he uses
for his sketches,
preferring instead to use repurposed
items like scrap
wood, fabric, and stones. He makes
his own papers
primarily because he enjoys making
paintings
appear dated. He primarily used
watercolor,
Chinese ink, pens, pencils, and
organic
materials for his drawings. The
majority of
his paintings are impressionistic
and
expressionistic, where he finds
peace and
harmony in nature and is inspired
by the
horrors committed against the
Kurds.
Among the aforementioned are some
examples of abstract and cubist art
experiments he has worked on. He
has devoted a portion of his
artwork to masks, the other
faces of theatre, as a gesture
of admiration for his wife’s
occupation as a thespian.
48