Kadhim Haidar's Painting: The Martyrs Epic of 1965
Kadhim Haidar created the above painting, which depicts the Martyrs Epic of 1965. One of his most well-known series of paintings is this one. The epic is based on a 1965 poem by him called Mourning Celebration. The artwork on display makes references to the Battle of Karbala, which resulted in the defeat of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson.
An Exploration of Haidar's Artistic Abilities
According to Al-Bahloly and Saleem (2013:20), the explanation of the dazzling white sobbing horses re-contextualizes the agony of the annual ceremonies performed to honor Al Husayn's martyrdom. After enrolling in a Theatre Design and Graphics programme in London, Kadhim's artistic abilities were recognized.
The Manifesto and Haidar's Artwork
The claims made in the manifesto connect to Haidar's artwork. The first claim is that modern society abandoned any art innovation that acted as a threat to the culture, thus coining the term "Degenerate Art" (Dika Seggerman and Alexandra 10). This is directly connected to Haidar's exhibitions where students demanded radical innovations, conflicting with Haidar's techniques. Additionally, the manifesto claims that art integrates nationalist, religious, and racialist ideas (Dika Seggerman and Alexandra 11). Similarly, Haidar developed his art design by assimilating life's reality to it.
The Dependency in Nature: Egyptian Manifesto
The Egyptian manifesto clearly shows the dependency that exists in nature. Art, for instance, cannot be fully blended on its own but depends on other variables. Also, the different images used by artists are interwoven with their environs. The martyr's epic used by Kadhim features the horses which are part of nature as illustrated by Al-Bahloly and Saleem (2013:19). This connectivity brings the reality of life by making existence meaningful.
Work Cited
Al-Bahloly, Saleem. “The Persistence of the Image: Dhākira Hurra in Dia Azzawi’s Drawings on The Massacre of Tel al-Zaatar.” ART Margins 2.2 (2013): 15-21.
Dika Seggerman, Alexandra. “Al-Tatawwur (Evolution): An Enhanced Timeline of Egyptian
Surrealism.” Dada/Surrealism 19.1 (2013): 1-26.
