A former archaeologist and museum curator, Azzawi was a pioneering figure in the development of Iraqi modernism during the 1960s. His practice draws on ancient Mesopotamian artefacts and ethnographic motifs, alongside a deep engagement with Arabic literature. From the mid-1960s, he began incorporating written Arabic into his art, initially drawing on popular phrases reflecting everyday life in Baghdad as part of his anthropological research. He later turned to the shared tradition of oral storytelling as a means of expressing a common Arab cultural identity in the aftermath of the failure of political pan-Arabism in 1967.
At the heart of the exhibition is Azzawi's longstanding engagement with One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. His celebrated 1986 print portfolio is presented in its complete original de luxe edition, of which only 25 were produced. Drawing on historic sources ranging from Assyrian wall reliefs to Islamic manuscripts, the portfolio is a remarkable expression of Azzawi's distinctive visual language and displays his technical prowess as a printmaker.