Hey,
I'M HUSSAIN AHMED
Illustration Artist and photographer
I’ve been teaching myself how to draw since the age of seven. In 2018 after I finished high school, I started to mix calligraphy with my art to create unique Baghdadi-Iraqi style images.
Esteacan: It is what Iraqis drink tea from. The name originates from the British ‘Eastern tea cans’ and the name has stuck with Iraqis ever since.
Shisha: Commonly known as ‘narkila’ in Iraq is a classic, Iraqi-Arabic hookah that has been in Iraq for centuries.
Kahramana: This image is based on the fountain in Bagdhad’s Sa’adoon Street made by Iraqi sculptor Mohammed Ghani Hikmat and unveiled in 1971. The sculpture depicts a scene from the legend of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, commonly known in English as the Arabian Nights.
Kahramana, the heroine of the story, helped her father run a hotel in Baghdad. The father would bring a cart of empty jars to fill them and sell them with oil in the market. One night, Kahramana heard some noise and saw thieves hiding in the empty jars with their heads poking out. She tricked the thieves into fully hiding themselves inside the jars and poured hot oil over them. The thieves started to scream and jump out of the jars, just in time for the police to come and arrest them.
Freedom: This is one of my favorite drawings. I drew it in October 2019 during the Iraqi protests. I was very sad that day, so I grabbed my pen and started sketching. It took me less than an hour, but all of my emotions are manifested in this picture. This image is not about its beauty but about how it simply carries the emotion of all the people. It is inspired by Freedom Monument in Baghdad.
Shaku Maku: This says ‘Shaku maku?’ which in Iraqi Arabic means what’s up? Or what’s going on with you? This is a very common phrase among Iraqis.