Jamal Penjweny at the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham

Jamal Penjweny. Photograph from the series Saddam is Here (2009-10). Courtesy the artist.

Image from the Saddam is Here’ series - taken from the Ikon gallery website

The Ikon Gallery in Birmingham is celebrating its 50th anniversary during 2014-2015, and as part of the celebrations there are some exciting and interesting exhibitions coming up throughout the year.

So over the weekend I made my way over to the Ikon to see what was on offer, what I found was Iraqi-Kurdish artist Jamal Penjweny's exhibition ‘Saddam is Here’.

Penjweny’s exhibition was a fascinating insight into the lives of Iraqi people that goes beyond the usual war images that have constantly bombarded our screens and newspapers over the years. Penjweny depicts the realities of the average Iraqi person’s life through the art of photography and film. The presence of Saddam Hussein in Iraqi society is a subject matter that Penjweny is particular drawn to, hence the exhibition title. He cleverly explores this through photographs taken of Iraqi people going about their daily lives their faces however, are obscured with a photograph of Saddam Hussein, lending to the notion that Saddam Hussein's legacy is still very much a part of their everyday existence.

Penjweny also presents us with two short films, taken on mobile phones, which delve into alcohol smuggling and gun selling; jobs that many Iraqis have found themselves having to take on in order to make a living of some sort. Penjweny’s films allow the people an opportunity to speak for themselves, tell their own stories, speak their own truths and therefore present counter narratives that challenge the ones we are predominantly exposed to in the West. I found the films in particular especially captivating and intriguing; however the exhibition as a whole is definitely one worth going to see.

Some of the other exhibitions coming up at the Ikon that I am especially excited about include:

· Yinka Shonibare whose work will be exhibited in early September 2014

· Imran Qureshi's artwork will be on display in November 2014

· Nastio Mosquito's work will be at the Ikon in February 2015

I shall be attending and reviewing these and I will post my reviews here, so watch this space!

For more information on upcoming Ikon exhibitions check out their website; http://ikon-gallery.org/ikon-announces-50th-anniversary-celebrations/

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