Mehdi Moutashar (Iraqi, b. 1943)

Born in Iraq in 1943, Mehdi Moutashar studied art in Baghdad eventually relocating to Paris in 1967 to pursue his studies. Exposed to geometric abstraction he nurtured a unique style of his own that combined European art sensitivities while quoting his Arab origins. Although black and white usually predominates Moutashar's compositions, the present work is an exceptional example that brings together a deep blue pigment, reminiscent of Arab-Islamic architecture with vibrant orange hues that are reminiscent of the Mesopotamian desert, creating an optical illusion that recalls Kinetic art of the 1960s while evoking rows of palm trees that surrounded the artist as a young child in his native country.