Making it on Baghdad’s Al-Mutanabbi Street-Artist thrives in challenging times

The difficult living conditions and economic crisis in Iraq led 34 year old Ammar to turn his hobby into a profession to support his family. Ammar told A24 that he learned painting from his uncle about nine years ago, but he cultivated his talent by drawing everything that his eyes fell on, including people and landscapes. Now he’s reached a stage where he rapidly depicts faces of his customers within a period of ten minutes. Speaking to A24, customers on Al-Mutanabbi Street- in the capital’s historic center known for its booksellers and art galleries- praised Ammar’s talent, and called on Iraqi youth to follow his example by turning their talents into professions.