throughout histo r y, Mesopotamia has been referred to as the Cradle of Civilisation' a nd its art, treasured in museums wo r ldwide is praised as one of the greatest achievements of mankind. Today, Iraqi art fo r ms an impo r tant facet of the Kaleidoscope of global contempo r ary art to which the artists contribute with a diverse yet distinct vocabulary fr omed by their unique artistic, cultural a nd religious roots.

Due te recent wo r ld events, as a result of which many Iraqis have had to seek alternative existences outside their homela nd, an innovative body of artwo r ks by Iraqi artists has emerged a nd taken shape. Many of these address contempo r ary themes info r med by the complexities of the artists lives, be it outside Iraq, in the distressed position of being an other o r indeed within Iraq, wh ere day to day survival has become fo r many an eno r mous struggle a nd an unprecedented burden. A culmination of a colossal five-year effo r t, this histo r ical under taking intends to bring together Iraq's scattered talents in the wind a nd communicate the positive a nd creative energies of Iraqi artists dispersed throughout the wo r ld today.

Strokes of Genius is meant to serve as a valuable source of reference fo r those seeking current info r mation about contempo r ary Iraqi art. ba sed on extensive research a nd many personal interviews, this wo r k introduces the reader to the development of Iraqi art throughout recent decades, befo r e moving on to essays by experts in the field who explo r e the status a nd content of wo r ks produced by Iraqi artists today. Furthermo r e, it inco r po r ates a comprehensive se lection of biographical notes on Iraqi artists, past a nd present, wo r ldwide.