Shafaq News- Baghdad

Dozens of young artists at the Baghdad International Book Fair have turned literary works into paintings as part of an initiative combining reading and visual art.

Sculptor Omar al-Qaisi, the fair’s artistic patron, told Shafaq News that each artist selects and reads a book before developing an idea or summary from it and translating it into a work of art. “The aim is to bring culture and art together and communicate the content of a book visually,” he said.

Al-Qaisi said the initiative drew strong interest, with about 420 applications submitted and 90 young artists selected to take part.

The participants were divided over three days, with 30 artists taking part each day. Friday marked the final day of work for the last group, he said.

The resulting paintings, inspired by books and novels, are scheduled to go on display on Saturday, when organizers will also honor the participants and distribute certificates. Among them was 14-year-old artist Lana Hisham, who chose The Little Prince as the inspiration for her painting.

Hisham told Shafaq News that she spent about two weeks reading the book, studying details of its story and reviewing several summaries before settling on the concept for her work. She said the painting itself took four days to complete and that she joined the initiative to express her interpretation of the book through art.

For 18-year-old Omnia Sattar, the event marked her first participation. She chose The Spy by Russian writer Maxim Gorky, drawing inspiration from the novel’s bleak atmosphere.

Sattar told Shafaq News that her painting depicts the protagonist and the novel’s ending, drawing on a passage from the final page describing the character’s condition and fate.

Artist Maria Thaer, 20, said she chose a novel after being drawn to its premise and sought to translate her interpretation of the story into a painting.

She said the novel follows a lawyer who sees himself as an ideal person before an incident forces him to confront a darker side of his character.

Thaer used dark colors to represent that realization, contrasting them with lighter shades symbolizing the character’s idealized view of himself.

The project is among the artistic activities accompanying the Baghdad International Book Fair, giving young artists a platform to interpret literary works through painting.