Sinan Hussein

SINAN HUSSEIN

Sinan Hussein

Living as a Pilgrim, 2019, Mixed media on canvas, 45 x 60cm

This painting all takes place in the imagination. In this painting I show Abraham and Sarah thinking about their life of continual journeying, which leads them as far away as Egypt, highlighted by the pyramids in the upper left. Abraham is known as the first monotheist and in the background, idols are being destroyed. The words coming out of his mouth are in Arabic, jumbled, but invoking a prayer about God and the first prophet, Abraham.

I have painted the symbol of pilgrimage in Islam, the black box shaped Kaaba in Mecca, upon Abraham’s head, and Abraham is thinking about the concept of pilgrimage. The blue glove he is holding represents positive energy, just as the Islamic folk symbols of Fatima’s Hand or the Evil Eye, which are signs of protection and the desire for goodness in life, are traditionally depicted with blue.

Together Abraham and Sarah are thinking about so many things, both the joys and hardships of life’s journey. Sarah is specifically thinking about not being able to have a child. The touch of their hands represents an intimate gesture; they have contact, but no child, signified by the wearing of gloves. The glass box around Sarah’s head is representative of her imagination and of all that she is processing and thinking about: God, the journey they are on, her maidservant Hagar, her deep longing for a child. In her arms she is holding the soul of a child, the child she is longing for, which is in the color yellow, representing God’s breath or God’s presence.

Sinan Hussein

Welcoming the Stranger, 2019, Mixed media on canvas, 45 x 60cm

My paintings frequently blend the contemporary with the historical. In this painting, Abraham and Sarah are welcoming Ishmael into their lives. Outside of Islam, Ishmael is very often viewed as secondary in importance, and therefore not always universally accepted. So, in this painting he is representative of “the other.” God is sending down a blessing upon Ishmael’s head. The sky is full of celebration. The figures are celebrating, representing angels and souls, flying souls, and as they are not human, they can take on different forms and change shapes. The cone is a symbol I often use to represent a very personal or sacred moment. As when cones are set up to block off something, preventing public access, so here it is symbolic of an inner experience, a deeper dimension. I use the green glove here to portray an extremely positive moment, as it is a sacred color in Islam. Welcoming the stranger, “the other,” is to be embraced and celebrated.

Born in 1977, Sinan Hussein’s artistic legacy extends from the vision of his Mesopotamian ancestors and its vast civilization and splendorous history to the horrifying present. The silent discourse, the gaze of his figures and the unusual objects in his paintings are a living metaphor from the past. At the age of 14 Sinan practiced art by sketching portraits of his friends and family. His artist and musician father recognized his talent and encouraged him to continue his art journey, first with several years of self-study, observing the classic, modern and contemporary artists. Sinan then obtained his BFA at the University of Fine Arts in Baghdad. Soon after graduation, in 2004, he left Baghdad because of the war and the sectarian violence that almost ended his life three times. He found refuge in Kuwait and eventually in the United States. The nostalgia of Sinan's homeland and search for a new home have enriched and shaped his paintings. He has participated in many highly acclaimed solo and group exhibitions in the Middle East, Europe and the United States. His artwork is collected by Middle Eastern and Arab royalty, governments and private collectors around the world. He is a member of the Iraqi Fine Arts Artist Society and The Union of Iraqi Artists. Sinan is from a Muslim background.