Jamil Hamoudi (1924–2004)

Le parcours d’un moderne irakien

Abstract

This article explores how the Iraqi artist Jamil Hamoudi articulated Western modernity and Iraqi and Arab artistic traditions through his work and writings. By examining his career, it highlights the dynamics of exchange and transformation that shaped the post-war Parisian art scene. Hamoudi developed a unique abstract vision that brought Arabic calligraphic traditions into dialogue with Mesopotamian aesthetic references, creating a distinctive approach to abstraction. His critical and theoretical engagement reflects his desire to integrate Arab artists into a global artistic dialogue without confining them to labels or exoticizing categories. In doing so, Hamoudi navigates a Parisian cosmopolitanism that proves to be less open than it initially seems.