HELEN AHMAD

Sulaymaniyah — Amid the scent of coffee and beneath the shadows of paintings lives a woman who has divided her life between two worlds: the world of teaching children and the world of art.

Ariz Sarwar has adorned the café walls with her artworks, which are not merely paintings but a language that tells the stories of women, the beauty of nature, and the national issues that have resided in the depths of society for years.

She completed her studies at the Institute of Fine Arts 11 years ago and currently works as an art teacher at a kindergarten center. However, when her fingers touch the colors on the canvas or she draws with nails, another story begins—the story of a woman using art as a means of expressing her feelings, ideas, and identity to the public.

In 2022, she and her husband established a small café that combines art and daily life. This café is no longer just a place for drinking coffee but has become a small art gallery, with every corner carrying its own story through the paintings displayed on its walls.

Ariz Sarwar speaks about her life, works, and dreams as an artist who, through colors, engraving, nature, and images of women, seeks to convey a human and national message that speaks a different language in each painting. She says: "I teach art to children in an academic way, and alongside my work as a teacher, I continue to produce my artworks and paint. Every day, alongside my responsibilities as a mother and teacher, I paint women and nature and express my national feelings. It is true that my teaching work sometimes delays the completion of my artworks, but I always make sure to introduce them through my page 'Aro Gallery.'"

She works on paintings of different sizes and styles, not limiting herself to painting with colors and brushes alone, but also using glass and nails in her creations. "I have completed artworks using ropes and nails based on requests from some customers."

She clarifies that her works have purpose and are not painted randomly: "I focus in most of my paintings on my national sentiment and Kurdish identity. I want my Kurdish affiliation to be clear to everyone who sees my works. Since establishing the café with my husband in 2022, I have been keen to give the place a distinct artistic imprint. All the paintings displayed there are my own creations. I have given the café a unique artistic character, and we also consider it a small art gallery."

Her works are not limited to oil painting but also include the use of glass and screws in executing paintings. "I create my artworks using screws, and I have many paintings executed with this technique on wooden panels. I choose the panel in the size I want, then gather a large number of screws and manually, using special tools, shape the desired image. It takes more than ten days to complete a single painting."

She executes works based on customer requests, but when she chooses the subject herself, she often paints women and their suffering, or addresses her national feelings and Kurdish identity. "In every political circumstance or aggression against the Kurds, I try through my paintings to convey my people's suffering and what my homeland endures to the eyes of viewers, and to contribute to conveying the voice of the Kurdish cause to the world. Through my page, I also receive requests to paint portraits of people as gifts for their loved ones, or nature and decorative paintings used to adorn homes."

Ariz Sarwar said: "Alongside developing my art, I strive to introduce Kurdish identity to the world. I hope in the future to own a large art gallery that receives foreign visitors so they can get to know my artworks and exhibitions that preserve Kurdish identity and our culture. I also address my message to all women to begin their artistic journey and not to surrender to the obstacles that stand in their way."