Ayad Alkadhi

Ayad Alkadhi's work employs traditional and stylized forms of Arabic calligraphy as a platform to present current social and political issues of Iraq and the Middle East. These creations are personal and sometimes incorporate his painted image - a reflection of an artist at the crux of East and West polarities. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Alkadhi spent his childhood between England, the United Arab Emirates and Baghdad. At the age of 23 after the first Gulf War, Alkadhi left Iraq for a better future - first in Amman, Jordan and shortly thereafter in Auckland, New Zealand. He then moved to New York City where he graduated with an MFA from New York University's ITP Tisch School of The Arts. Alkadhi currently lives and works in New York.