Saddam Jumaily:
Palimpsest of Home: Erasure and Inlay

Saddam Jumaily’s exhibition is a visual exploration that examines critical space, the anxiety of nostalgia and change, and his reflections on the concerns and surreal fantasies of his native homeland.

In his latest works, Jumaily moves away from traditional painting toward what he describes as “psychological and surgical” processes. Ultimately, it is fair to say that paintings convey emotions and memories—an essential aspect of his practice. “I hardly paint, but perform a psychological and surgical procedure,” Jumaily bluntly admits.

His painterly hand constructs a complex collage on the surface of each piece. He employs the concept of palimpsest—parchment from which the original text has been scratched or washed away, then overwritten—using old wallpapers that he finds and re-arranges through the onlay technique. The subjects are playful and diverse. The result is a conceptually layered patchwork—a mosaic of suggestive content and a network of pastiche-like, cut-and-glued masking tape.

A central feature of the exhibition is the inclusion of anatomical and surgical illustrations, as well as scientific photographs taken from books and magazines, placed on the reverse side of the paintings. These elements function as both revealing and concealing devices; they invite viewers to dream, envision, and even create metaphors for the chaos within humanity and the shared pain that accompanies it.

Jumaily invites viewers to witness not only his longing for home but also his spiritual struggle to find a safe haven protected by walls. Palimpsest from Home is an invitation to share in meanings within an uncertain life caught between darkness and hope. All is not lost—by exploring the exhibition, viewers are encouraged to envision a space where the artist seeks to erase a dubious reality and present us with a world crafted as “Home,” built of dreams, ornaments, and mystical realism.

The exhibition is curated by Ramiro Camelo.

Saddam Jumaily (Basra, Iraq) is an Iraqi visual artist. He holds an MFA in Visual Arts from Basra University. He has served as a lecturer at Basra University and has published several books on Middle Eastern art.

Saddam Jumaily's works have been featured in solo exhibitions in Iraq, the UAE, Jordan, Finland, and Kuwait. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions and art fairs in London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Beirut. Additionally, his works were included in Christie's auction in New York (2016).