Baghdad mosaic artist’s works a hit with foreign diplomats

Mosaic art has often been associated with Islamic architecture and the decoration of ancient mosques, the most famous of which being the dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem. Mosaic, as Dr. Muhammad al-Rubaie, Director of Civil Coordination says, “is a Greek word meaning craft and making small cubes”. 

It was used to decorate floors and walls by fixing them with mortar on the roofs. In Baghdad, artist Bashar Reda, who is known for this art, talked about his work explaining that “the types of mosaics go back to every country in Mesopotamia including creative paintings that have been transferred to many museums around the world”. 

Reda talks about the “difficulty of the work” and how the mosaic expresses a form of beautiful art, which demonstrates precision and beauty simultaneously. Reda explains that the “mosaic is formed from a surface filled with small-sized pieces, rarely with regular dimensions, placed next to each other”. He adds “materials can include stones, glass, metals, shells, tiles, and more and normally have bright vibrant colours”. 

Reda says that he sells his art to local customers including to shop owners and exhibitions” He was pleased to share that he has begun selling his work to “diplomats in Iraq including ambassadors of foreign countries”, and exported out of Iraq with prices ranging from $2000 to $6000 per work.