Ismail Fattah's works on display at 4Walls strike with the force of simplicity and the universality of his subjects, ICA Wahbeh says:
Haunting Legacy

The works of Ismail Fattah, one of the most prolific, distinguished Iraqi artists, strike with the force of simplicity and the universality of his subjects.
On display at 4Walls, this pioneering spirit who passed away in July last year exuberantly fills the room with his presence.
Etchings, water colours and acrylic on paper, and sculptures, the works cover the range of his artistic preoccupation, leaving a lingering feeling of sadness from a person otherwise known for his cheerful outlook of life.

Holder of a higher diploma in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts, Rome, his works were exhibited in Rome, Baghdad, Beirut, and won prizes and recognition; he leaves his legacy both in his works and in the students he taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad.
A black and white etching, "Two faces in the theatre", is that of two profiles meeting in one face set on a horizontal plane. They look more like contrasting masks, happy-sad, laughing-crying, and are a recurring image.

The "Boy with rooster" is organic compositions where man and bird are almost one, forming one anatomical unit in earthen, almost black and white coloures. It is a take on the same boy with rooster done a year earlier in a riot of coloures, an image that should normally import joyous feeling of carnival atmosphere but which seems even sadder than the one in subdued colours.
The human figure, almost sketchily delineated but amply defining the body, exercise a strong attraction on the artist who glorifies its nudity.
In "Figures with dove", the out-lines of six men are placed around a dove on a red-rimmed surface.

The imagination is free to roam: Is it some sort of ritual where the dove is sacrificed on the altar of war or is it being readied to soar in peace?
The nude women in "Improvisations" coquettishly peer into mirrors, combs at the ready to preen the hair that is barely hinted at.
A pawing horse(no mane and no tail, as if the artist wants to show this proud animal can be beautiful even when deprived of its most striking features) offers a break in a row of etchings that can be found in the original " Touch Editions " bound in leather.

The etchings display the same fascination with the human body: Voluptuous, sensual women with generous forms, symbol of fecundity, holding feral animals and square- shouldered men holding roosters and doves: more symbolism hidden behind the animals, provoking, insinuating, almost lascivious.
Groups or couples, black and white or coloured, the bodies are usually standing, making faint gestures but mostly seeming to expect something to happen or simply allowing the viewer to give free rein to the imagination and presume the unsaid.

And then, there are the faces. Haunting, single or grouped with others, in a spot of bright light and colour or almost obscured by darkness, they gaze at the viewer. The simple outline of these faces almost makes them look cold, but a shade, a tear, the highlighting of a certain feature draws the eye, recalls it, pins it to the details and speaks about what's hidden behind the face, the dilated ( or minuscule ) pupil, the wide opened eye.

Like coloured MRI images, different parts of the skull and face are allocated different colours; you could read love, fear, indifference, passion in these patches of red, yellow, blue, green, white or purple, and then try to penetrate the pupil, go inside the skull and find the soul. The faces seem to be the unifying theme in Fattah's works over the years, his fascination with them overwhelming and the range of combinations unlimited.

At times a veil seems to have been drawn over parts of the drawings, as if trying to cover them, imparting secrecy to the already mysterious drawings.
A few of his sculptures are also on display, almost faithful representation s of his paintings ( most likely, though, the other way round).
The bronzes are powerful, often stylized figures. In the "Girl", an impressive figure clad in a flowing dress, the curves of the body contrast the linear overall outline. Her mouths shows a determination and strength belied by the delicate shape of her body.

"The lovers" are sensibly seated next to each other, he clasping his chest, trying to steady the wild heartbeats, she, one would guess, quietly folding her hands in her lap. Indication of the passion uniting them are the representation in relief at their feet, on the pedestal: Faces in movement or twisting hearts, concealed feelings that cannot be easily allowed to show in a conservative society.
"Portrait of Picasso" is as abstract as the famous artist himself. A sheet of bronze covers the torso and head of a man, held in place by the arms. It is an interesting combination of linear, square shapes and jagged curves.

The "Woman on a base" is an unexpected juxtaposition of the two halves of her body side by side, a theatrical illusion a la Houdini. "The man chair" is …exactly that: a chair whose front legs are the man's, whose back is the man's body, with a vague hint at a face engraved on it.
The mixture of smooth and rough, of shiny and almost matte gives depth, "colour" to the bronzes, duality, texture, tempts one to touch and feel, as looking is not enough.
The works will be on display at the Sheraton-Al Nabil Hotel and Towers until dec.7.