Ali Eyal’s work is closely tied to the personal and collective experiences of Iraqis in the early 2000s, when the country was invaded by the United States and its allies. Working across various media—especially drawing and painting—Eyal creates intricate compositions where figures scatter, “melt”, and merge, resulting in imagery that gradually reveals itself to the viewer.
At the 14th Mercosul Biennial, Eyal creates a space filled with portraits that, as is characteristic of his practice, are actually “half-portraits”, avoiding clear depictions of faces, though here he adopts a more transparent formal treatment. The photograph 6×9 doesn’t fit everything is composed of layers involving text, painting, envelopes, and hands that hold all these elements together—an operation that speaks to narratives nested within others, their framing, and the need to move beyond certain boundaries.
Charlene Cabral
Ali Eyal (Iraq, 1994) is an artist who uses painting, drawing, and video to explore the relationships between personal history, transient memories, politics, and identity. Eyal has participated in numerous important exhibitions, such as Documenta 15, The 58th Carnegie International, and the 15th Sharjah Biennale. His works are also part of collections at institutions such as the Kadist Art Foundation in Paris and San Francisco. He lives in Los Angeles, United States.
