Sina Ata is an Iraqi artist born in the United States. #796 is from the collection “ARQAM,” meaning numerals in Arabic, which he started during the civil unrest in Iraq...
Sina Ata is an Iraqi artist born in the United States. #796 is from the collection “ARQAM,” meaning numerals in Arabic, which he started during the civil unrest in Iraq several years ago. The daily violence was reported numerically in number of casualties per day, which Ata felt dehumanized the victims of the war. In a similar way, the death toll and infections of the COVID-19 pandemic are reported globally by quantity of daily deaths. This mixed media work conceptualizes the statistical stripping of identity by carving simple cut-outs in a piece of wood, representing the overwhelming scale of unnamed victims. The lyrically painted blue and green background expresses a secondary level of grief, while the overall composition cries out for the preservation of humanity and a quashing of indifference.
Ata has exhibited extensively, including in solo exhibitions in Amman, Baghdad, Bahrain, Dubai and London, including at Orfali Gallery, Amman; Jacaranda Gallery, Amman; and Janet Rady Gallery, London. He has also participated in exhibitions at Alif Gallery, Washington, D.C. and AB Gallery, Switzerland. In 2006, his work featured in the British Museum's Word into Art Exhibition and is now in the Museum's collection. In addition to his visual art practice, he has also held art director positions in several companies. Ata graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering from University of Technology, Baghdad in 1977 and then moved to London to pursue a MS in Building Management from the University of London, 1980.