Al-Mutanabbi Street

"'Al-Mutanabbi Street' was created in response to the tragic bombing in Baghdad. The street that was the heart of literary and intellectual community was destroyed in 2007 and many people were killed or injured. The pages contain carpets covered with the pattern of words in different languages and alphabets - all of them mean 'a book'. It is a story of Al-Mutanabbi Street - from a flourishing place full of books through the attack to rebirth. It can be read from left to right and from right to left depending on the cultural origin of the reader. My book is a tribute to the people killed or injured there. It is also a statement of my belief in importance of books that despite disasters continue to accompany us through our lives."--Artist's statement from the Book Arts at the Centre for Fine Print Research, UK website.