BLOG:: Visions Refocused: Interview with Iraqi artist Halim al-Karim
Iraqi artist Halim al-Karim, based between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, is best known for his photographic portraits that he deliberately shoots out of focus—which he then manipulates and paints over, infusing them with an enigmatic air. Covering a wide array of subjects, ranging from the ancient Sumer civilization of Iraq to the country’s modern political affairs (such as the Saddam Hussein era), al-Karim’s photos reconstruct historic images and explore the ways they are produced and received. Much attention has been paid to al-Karimas an artist in exile, who fled Iraq during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. Recently, ArtAsiaPacific sat down with al-Karim before the opening of his new solo show in Hong Kong, “Coma in Paradise,” at Amelia Johnson Contemporary gallery, to discuss the techniques behind his large-scale productions, as well as his personal experience of Asia.
