Lot 134: Hidden Mask 1, 1995

Hidden Mask 1, 1995
Lambda print in three parts. Each: 50 x 50 cm. (19 3/4 x 19 3/4 in).  Signed, titled, dated and numbered ‘Halim Al-Karim, Hidden Mask 1, 1995' on the reverse of each. This work is from an edition of three plus two artist's proofs.

 Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Al-Karim was born in 1963 in Najaf, Iraq. As a direct result of the conflict he experienced in Iraq much of his work is concerned with uniting the hidden and obscured with the revealed and true. He seeks comprehension and refuge in ancient traditions and philosophies, in particular the ancient Sumerian civilization, a theme which is often apparent within his works. The present lot comprises three lambda prints obscured and blurred as if veiled. The result is an image which is both intriguing and disconcerting. In addition to losing his sister and four brothers as a result of violence in Iraq Al-Karim spent the years between 1989 and 1991 hiding in a hole in the ground covered by a dome of rocks. He recalls that "through holes in the dome, I could watch the whole galaxy."