Painter

Dia al-Azzawi

Dia al-Azzawi is an Iraqi artist whose wide-ranging practice combines modern painting and drawing with imagery rooted in the ancient art and literature of Iraq. The Metropolitan Museum of Art documents metallic paint throughout his 1965–67 Studies for The Epic of Gilgamesh.


Dia al-Azzawi quick facts

A concise reference for his Gilgamesh series and documented use of metallic paint.

Dia al-Azzawi quick facts
NationalityIraqi
PracticePainting, drawing, printmaking, and other media
Paint-related mediumMetallic paint
Documented seriesStudies for The Epic of Gilgamesh (1965–67), including ink and metallic paint on paper
Known forCombining modernist visual language with ancient Iraqi art, literature, and cultural memory

Sources: The Met: Enkidu and the Harlot, The Met: Gilgamesh's Defeat, and The Met: Gilgamesh's Quest for Immortality.