Jumaily: Bitter Secrets

2026-10-16

Saddam Jumaily

Born in Basra, Iraq, in 1974. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts (Painting) in 2000 and an MFA in Painting in 2005, both from the College of Fine Arts at the University of Basra, Iraq. From 2006 to 2011, he taught at the same institution.

Currently based in Helsinki, Finland, Jumaiy has been actively exhibiting his work over the past decade, participating in solo and group exhibitions across Finland and Europe, including Italy, France, Austria, and the United Kingdom, as well as in the United States. His work has also been exhibited extensively in the Middle East, including Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. His last exhibition in Iraq took place in 2008. For his work he has received several notable awards, scholarships, grants and residencies.

In addition to his artistic practice, Jumaily is an author who has published several books on art and visual culture, exploring contemporary Arab art, visual discourse, and questions of originality.

Fig 1) Artist Saddam Jumaily

“For me, painting is the human behavior most capable of touching the essence of deep emotion, and the best medium to capture the metaphysics of irony and pain.” Saddam Jumaily

Collections at major art institutions

Jumaily’s work has gained significant recognition, with prominent museums and art institutions acquiring his work for their collections. These include:

2023: Sharjah Museums, United Arab Emirates.
2021: The British Museum, Contemporary Art of the Middle East collection, London, United Kingdom.
2017: Dalloul Art Foundation, Lebanon.
2016: Kinda Foundation for Contemporary Arab Art, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Fig 2 ) Forget about Guilt 2022, Collection : 2023, Sharjah Museums, United Arab Emirates. ,

Fig 3) Unfair Game 2022. Collection 2023: Sharjah Museums, United Arab Emirates.

Fig 4) Prediction,150x150 cm. Acrylic on canvas, 2013: Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon.

Fig 5) Reading, 130x100 cm. Acrylic on canvas, 2015, Kinda Foundation for Contemporary Arab Art, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“My works investigate the unknown or silenced images of our world—new, vivid images that run contrary to what we normally see.” Saddam Jumaily

Jumaily World of Art – Bitter Secrets

He has chosen two words to describe his work Bitter Secrets. The artist’s inspiration is deeply rooted in his experiences as an Iraqi, shaped by war, political instability, personal loss, and exile. These experiences drive his exploration of political, social, and human issues, including oppression, immigration, religious authority, and the struggle for individual freedom and tolerance.

Through painting, sculpture, and drawing, he uses art as a form of resistance, challenging injustice and exposing the contradictions, cruelty, and dark humour of contemporary society. His work seeks to reveal uncomfortable truths hidden beneath social conventions and false ideals, combining sarcasm, paradox, and raw emotion to reflect the realities of human life.

Above all, he is inspired by the belief that art must remain an independent and powerful expression of human freedom, identity, and dignity, capable of resisting anything that threatens the human spirit.