The Richard Saltoun Gallery in London will host the Dia Azzawi show.
The British-Iraqi artist Dia Azzawi will present an exciting exhibition in London. Running from 10 March to 9 May 2026, Excursion Across Time takes place at the Richard Saltoun Gallery in Dover Street, Mayfair. The exhibition marks 50 years since Azzawi moved to London and is only his second solo show in the city.
Excursion Across Time highlights the breadth of Azzawi’s work, bringing together historically significant pieces alongside works that have never been publicly exhibited. His first exhibition in London in nearly fifty years offers a rare and timely insight into the artist’s personal journey.
The exhibition includes large, colourful paintings that tell the story of how a former archaeologist and museum curator became an artist. Drawing inspiration from Ancient Mesopotamia and ethnographic motifs, Azzawi went on to help shape Iraqi modernism in the 1960s.
In 1976, Azzawi moved to London. After researching Islamic manuscripts, he began incorporating Arabic text into his work as both a decorative and nostalgic element. His practice blends motifs across time, from the dark eyes and prominent brows of Sumerian sculptures to nude figures. The exhibition also incorporates traditional and modern textiles from across the region, alongside works inspired by poetry and translated into inked patterns.
The themes span the ancient, Islamic and modern periods of the region. The pieces include sculptures inscribed with modern poetry and towering technicolour obelisks. There is also a desert rose atop an outsized cylinder seal depicting the dying lioness from a lion-hunt relief.
Check in with FACT for the best things to do in London.
GO: Visit www.richardsaltoun.com for more information.