Suad Al-Attar

The first comprehensive monograph of the Iraqi painter merging Islamic idioms with surrealistic mythologies

London-based Iraqi painter and draftswoman Suad Al-Attar (born 1940) is famed for her expressive depictions of mythical creatures and landscapes. Rooted in the visual traditions of the Middle East, her oeuvre recalls Iraq's folkloric past, Islamic design and ancient Assyrian sculpture reliefs. In 1965, Al-Attar became the first woman to hold a solo exhibition in Baghdad, and her work is now showcased internationally.
This exquisitely illustrated monograph features original photography of more than 100 of Al-Attar's surrealistic works--the most comprehensive published collection of work by the artist to date. With text by Al-Attar's granddaughter, the writer and art historian Nesma Shubber, the book tells the story of the artist's remarkable life and work, from her formative years in Baghdad to her arrival in London in 1976, up to the present day.