Collapse

The artist employs minimalist abstraction to distil their commentary down to the pure fundamentals of the death and rebirth of the City depicting collapsing buildings in Mosul. The work uses five colours that hold significance across the Arab world, four of which make up the Iraqi flag, namely white, black, green, red and (somewhat surprisingly) yellow. The Prophet highlighted the significance of certain colours by describing his preferred colours for his clothing and he also approved or discouraged the usage of certain colours. Among the colours that are specifically mentioned and found in the hadith are white, red, green, black and yellow. These colours give different connotations as they were used in the Prophet’s attires during battles and other occasions; and some bring about specific understanding, as stated by the Prophet.

Black is used in the negative space between the building are crumbling across the picture like gravestones. The introduction of Green, the colour of the Prophet and also a symbol of nature, life, bliss, joy and new growth, seems to creep in from both of the lower side of the canvas, denoting hope for rebirth and the continuation of life in defiance over death.