Contemporary Design and Design Infrastructure in Iraq

Abstract

Contemporary design discourse in Iraq since the 1940s has endorsed principles of aesthetic and visual appeal in the design process, aligned with material cultural traditions and Iraqi socio-cultural preferences, though modern design practices didn’t move beyond the handcraft skills practiced in Iraq from ancient times. The Iraqi design community has been forced to practice design in isolation from the rest of the world since the 1980s. The significance of this estrangement is easily traced through the evolution of design practice. The horrific impacts and lack of security arising from political instability dominate the country and interfere with the development of a contemporary design discourse in Iraq.