Nibras Al-Salman

About

My middle eastern background and sensibility often manifest in my work though not always overtly. My engineering training surface in the work. Decay and destruction, particularly in reference to buildings, seem to have special impact. This could be influenced by the decayed historic buildings in my native Iraq and the recent wars in the middle east that has imposed high price on life and living conditions, and caused vast destruction. I cannot help thinking that my work is austere. There is an attempt to reduce adornment and decoration. A sense of order and formality pervades which I attribute to middle eastern influence. Patterns and geometry often emerge creating a rhythm that provides movement and unity. Curiously, there is beauty in decayed structures.

In my work at the RCA I highlighted the destruction of trees and forests in wars. This is often deliberate; the damage is extensive and long lasting. Environmental recovery, if possible, takes much longer than the building of cities. Once a tree is cut it cannot be reassembled again. Wars also destroy our cultural heritage which is referenced in the work.

Wars are not inevitable and we can find civilised ways to resolve conflicts.

Other work addressed fading memory, and immigration and disconnection.