A chimera is a hybrid living creature. In Greek mythology, it is a monster composed of parts of various animals, while in modern days it describes a human being who has two genetically distinct types of cells. The image used for the background of this painting is one of the ruins of Saddam Hussein’s palace in Baghdad, a symbol of the troubled and chaotic era the Western world and the Middle East have been facing, since the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center and the consequent reaction of the United States and its allies. This work also came to fruition as many signs of the failure of the Arab Spring started to appear – the civil war in Syria perhaps being one of the most troubling one. From a formal standpoint, one may decipher the emergence of a predominantly black and grey palette, which prefigures the later development in Mehretu’s work as of 2014.

Chimera, 2013. Ink and acrylic/canvas, 244 x 366 cm