Faisel Laibi Sahi’s Uprising, 2016, is a monumental painting that places women at the center of Iraq’s collective struggle for independence and dignity. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work spans over four meters, combining clear figuration with symbolic color to turn political memory into a visual allegory.

The composition stages a clash across a smoky field. At far left, helmeted soldiers in army-green uniforms take firing positions. One operates a tripod-mounted heavy gun while others aim rifles, and a fallen soldier lies in the foreground. Opposite them, a tightly packed column of civilians drives toward the left. Men and women are clustered together. A central male figure in blue lifts a sweeping red banner as others brace long wooden spears angled toward the soldiers. Several women, some veiled, shield children at their knees or in their arms. Animals surge with the crowd. A rearing white horse, the horned head of a black bull, and a tawny cougar-like creature leap ahead. Diagonal spears, streaming drapery, and drifting smoke knit the scene into a single leftward thrust toward the opposing fire.

Color amplifies the division between opposing forces. On the left, the soldiers’ side is rendered in drab greens and greys, their figures blending with the metallic gun and machinery of war. On the right, the civilians are animated by brighter hues. The sweeping red banner dominates the upper section, while whites, blues, and earthy tones give variety to the mass of figures. The smoke, angled spears, and swirling drapery link the two halves, casting the entire confrontation as a staged moment of upheaval.

The work resonates with Iraq’s long history of popular resistance, where women have consistently played visible roles. During the 1920 Revolution, women provided support to rebels and boosted morale. In 1948, they joined the anti-treaty demonstrations in Baghdad, during which one woman protester was killed. In the 1950s, organizations such as the League for the Defense of Women’s Rights tied nationalist struggle to broader demands for social reform.

By fusing these episodes into one composition, Sahi creates not a literal record but an emblem of resistance. Uprising elevates women as both active participants and enduring symbols of renewal in Iraq’s national struggle.

Signed and dated in English front lower right