Tsawwar… Waddah Faris

"During the 1970's my father, Waddah Faris, traveled to Iraq numerous times and for several projects. Sometimes he went there to meet artists to bring back to his Contact Gallery in Beirut – and later on to his Galerie Faris in Paris. He was also in charge of photographing the museum collections in Iraq during that decade. On those travels, he often went with his friend, Iraqi artist Dia al-Azzawi, who was an active member of the cultural life in Iraq. This photograph was most likely shot in Baghdad in 1974 by Lamia, the wife of Palestinian writer Jabra Ibrahim Jabra pictured here. It must have been before or after the al-Marbad (المربد) Festival, which took place in Basra. This was the third edition of the literary festival, which began in 1971. Dia al-Azzawi (also pictured here) had a key role in organizing an art exhibition alongside the 1971 festival, but did not attend in 1974. So he must have been there with Waddah (pictured with a jacket hanging above his shoulder) for a cultural gathering around the same time period. You can also spot Egyptian writer Yusuf Idriss."

— Teymur Faris