Sadeq Jaafer is an Iraqi photographer and visual artist who studied general medicine at Ternopil Medical University in Ukraine. But before he decided to enter the world of art and design, Jaafer wanted to develop himself more, so he started to take online makeup lessons and learned how to design accessories as well as sewing and fashion design which are now the core essence of his photography. Jaafer’s photos are the perfect combination of fantasy and reality, some of which talk about the crisis in Iraq, and others are completely artistic, perfectly showing his talent in creating his own surreal world.
In an interview with Jaafer, the artist said, “Coming from a loving and supportive family with very different interests than mine, my mom is a doctor and my dad is a pilot, however, I chose a very different career path. Even though I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in medicine, my passion for art played a bigger role in expressing and shaping who I am, thus you can see where medicine and art can clash since they have nothing in common.”
“My work advocates abolishing social constraints and chains in Iraq since all civilizations originated from our land; the land of rich cultures, knowledge, and enlightenment. Ever since wars broke out, I try to put Iraq back on the map,” said Jaafer. Last but not least, Jaafer advises every aspiring young artist to never give up on their dreams and to overcome all of the obstacles that they might face, “I started from scratch and I’ve made my way to the top.”
