Look What I Remember, 2024

Eyal explores the trauma of Iraq’s contemporary history caused by war and the displacement of thousands of citizens through a deeply personal lens.

The back of a head, a recurring motif in his work, dominates the canvas. Layering multiple perspectives and points of view, it not only looks upon a partially revealed scene but also contains memories and landscapes of a ruined city, discarded objects, and text. Embroidery-like strokes suggest the hairs surrounding this translucent head, in which Eyal visually articulates different temporalities. A personal incident from 2003 prompted this painting: “By chance, as I advanced towards the abandoned kitchen, where a small hill of stones lay, I saw a whole Iraqi army sitting silently to my right. Only the sound of an empty brass cup clinking was audible, passing between the soldiers’ hands to reach mine. They had taken refuge from the US aircraft. With complete calmness, I brought them a cup of tea, and they said, ‘Now we are safe, and we can run in the vast forest.’”