The Execution Room

Mohammed Sami approaches painting as an allegorical representation of the striking image of conflict and violence. His paintings explore belated memories triggered by common everyday objects from when he immigrated to Sweden from his native Iraq. The semi-abstract register and multi-textured paint create a nuanced relationship between the original event and its present recollection in Sami’s artworks. Absent of people, the settings and quotidian objects in his works are nevertheless permeated with the trace of human presence; while evidence of turmoil or trauma is never directly referenced, obscure and haunting narratives are conveyed. Referencing traditional genres such as still-life, internal-external spaces and landscapes acquire a strange twist and become uncanny illusions and threats. These alluring paintings, characterized by subdued colors and expressive figures, reflect war's impact and cultural loss and act as a powerful voice for those affected by global unrest.

London and Norrköping, Sweden