Azad Nanakeli, originally from Erbil, is an international artist that has had numerous exhibitions since 1973. He works with visual arts, combining installation work, video, photography and painting. His work has been shown in various galleries around the world, from Iraq to Italy to the United Arab Emirates.
He currently lives in Florence, Italy. For Azad Nanakeli, art a way of connecting the past to the present and moving beyond the self. Influenced by his transnational identity, he explores themes relating to emigration, identity and environmental issues.
Here are a few of his artworks:
1) Awaz,(sound), 2015
video installation, 2 channel video and sound, 5’30”
2) Destnuej (Purification), 2011
video installation, 2 channel video and sound, 7’02”
“Purification is an ancient ritual, disseminated in the four corners of the world.The man who always drinks this water is contaminates his own body. The man who uses it to purify himself contaminates himself. My work is based on and motivated by these themes, which are also linked to the general degradation man causes to the environment around us.”
3) Highlighted Memory (10), 2017
Mixed Media, Acrylic on Canvas
To find out more, follow Azad Nanakeli on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nanakeli82/, or check out his website: https://www.azadnanakeli.com/2020/04/15/highlighted-memory-10-2017/