Dafatir: Contemporary Iraqi Book Art
A group exhibition, Dafatir (which translates from Arabic as "notebooks") is a groundbreaking exhibit that transforms the tradition of books into an experimental artists' book. A group exhibit, Dafatir explores the idea of Iraq by presenting book-form art currently practiced by contemporary Iraqi artists. Composed of seventeen Iraqi artists including one female, three different generations of Iraqi artists are represented. Through high levels of craft and diverse approaches of communication, the narrative books highlight themes of cultural identity and contemporary political statements.

Uniting Western training with local tradition, Dafatir fashions modern art by celebrating the perseverance of art in a nation with a complex history. Presenting contemporary Iraqi art to American audiences, the exhibit defies old clichés by illustrating private ideas and meaning to unfamiliar viewers.

Curated by Nada Shabout of the University of North Texas, the book arts come from the collection of Dia al-Azzawi, an Iraqi artist based in London. The artists in the exhibition, many now living in exile include: Dia al-Azzawi, Sadiq Kwaish Alfraaj, Ammar Dawod, Mohammad Fakher, Ismail Fattah, Ghassan Gha'eb, Nedim Kufi, Hana' Malallah, Moaid Nama, Rafa al-Nasiri, Kareem Rissan, Mahmmud al-Obaidi, Ibrahim Rashied, Shakir Hassan Al Said, Mohammed al-Shammarey, Samar Usama, and Nazar Yahya.