Meet Mokhallad Habib: 'Banksy of Iraq' transforming scars of war into symbols of hope

Sitting in the comfort of your home, watching the news on TV, the war in Iraq sounds like just another global event, another country succumbing to the geopolitical chess. However, for the people living in the country, hiding from forces and escaping bullets is a part of daily life.For them, the war is not confined to headlines or debates, they look at it every day. Pockmarked walls, damaged doors and shattered windows carry the physical memory of invasion, conflict, displacement and instability for them. Over time, these scars are expected to fade into the background of a new attack, turning trauma into the ordinary.However, if Iraq's Banksy is to say, they will remain as bold and proud evidence for people who have suffered through war, fought life and death, and yet emerged victorious and united. Mokhallad Habib, doesn't look away from these surfaces, he uses them as his canvas, adding meaning and life to bullet holes and broken structures.Not only that, he uses his art to call for hope and life, to create moving human images that evoke emotions: of happiness for some and introspection for others. Often referred to as the 'Banksy of Iraq', Habib creates art that is playful and fun but serious in meaning. A cluster of bullet holes on a white door become patterns on a butterfly's wings, those on a side wall become craters of the moon in a painted galaxy. A yellow door with bullet holes now has a bunch of bananas with the message 'Give Hope' while a broken car window has a woman blowing on a dandelion. In another picture, holes transformed into music notes with the message 'Make music not war.'Habib often showcases his creations on Instagram, where he has built a steady following of 3,000 followers, all drawn by his rare talent of transforming destruction into decoration. Moreover, he is also a pharmacist, as per his bio, has gifted drawings to Akira Endo, Ambassador of Japan to Iraq and has met popular Saudi poet Ali Al-Nahwi.Rather than leaning away from the reality of a country weathering the troubles of a war, he transforms sites of war into powerful visual stories, urging people to pause, reflect and acknowledge the history being written.