Um Al-Abaya

The artist drew this painting for Iraqi peasant women who are enshrouded by the black Iraqi cloak worn on the head with a longitudinal opening from head to foot. The two women in this work applied a circular cushion of cloth to absorb the weight they carried on their heads and necks while walking.
The artist reduced the details through an expressive style and abstracted the features. By using the burning brown colors, the artist added a sad and depressing atmosphere to his work, expressing the hardship of living and extreme poverty.