Fine Arts

This comparative study examines the economic empowerment of craftswomen in Morocco and Saudi Arabia through a dual analytical lens: a structural cultural approach and an institutional developmental approach. The authors argue that economic empowerment transcends income generation and requires dismantling the social and symbolic structures that reproduce gender inequalities.
Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of symbolic domination and gendered division of labor, as well as contemporary gender and development theories, the study shows that the Moroccan case is shaped by deep rooted constraints such as structural illiteracy, patriarchal habitus, and symbolic boundaries between public and private spaces. These factors limit women’s access to decision making and commercial negotiation despite their central role in production.
In contrast, the Saudi case reflects a profound institutional transformation driven by Vision 2030, with governmental programs, cultural institutions, and heritage initiatives contributing to redefining the role of craftswomen within the creative economy, while challenges remain in achieving sustainability, marketing, and integrating crafts into entrepreneurship.
The study concludes that the comparison reveals two distinct models: a Moroccan model struggling with entrenched socio cultural structures, and a Saudi model driven by institutional modernization. Ultimately, genuine empowerment requires combining structural cultural change with institutional reform.

The current research dealt with the topicof (The Role of Artificial Intelligence in EnrichingContemporary Artistic Production) The research comprises four chapters The first chapter focuses on the methodological framework of the research, specifically the research problem: (What is the role of artificial intelligence in enriching contemporary artistic production?) This chapter also includes the importance and necessity of the research, its objective (to identify the role of artificial intelligence in enriching contemporary artistic production), its limitations, and a definition of key terms The second chapter contains three sections The first section addresses the concept of enrichment and its types The second section examines artificial intelligence and art, while the third section explores the enriching dimension of artificial intelligence techniques in contemporary artistic experience The third chapter details the research procedures, including the research population, which consists of works produced using artificial intelligencein which 3 models of her works were selected to represent the research sample for the purpose of analyzing it according to the analytical descriptive approach (content analysis) Finally, This study concludes by presenting the most important research results, hypothesis and proposals that included in the fourth chapterFrom these findings and conclusions :
- The enrichment of meaning in artistic production through artificial intelligence is achieved by re-exploring ancient codes and forms and incorporating them into new contexts, which expands the work’s connotations for the viewer and generates renewed artistic transformations
- Artificial intelligence contributes to bringing about a fundamental transformation in contemporary artistic production by reshaping its compositional elements and integrating multiple styles, producing complex visual configurations characterized by diversity and intricacy that transcend traditional frameworks

Imagination is considered one of the mental processes that enables the pupil to move beyond sensory reality toward the formation of new mental images,. The present research studies “The Imaginary Form in the Drawings of Primary School Pupils.”
The research consists of four chapters. The first chapter includes the research problem, which is formulated in the following question: What is the nature of the imaginary form in the drawings of primary school pupils? The aim of the research is to identify the imaginary form in the drawings of primary school pupils.
The second chapter includes two sections:
The first: The concept of imagination.
The second: The characteristics of children’s drawings.
The third chapter addresses the research population and provides a descriptive and analytical account of three samples of drawings by primary school pupils.
The fourth chapter presents the results, the most important of which are:
1.Imaginary forms emerged through symbols in the pupils’ drawings by embodying various real-life themes through different shapes that reflected mental and imaginative images differing from realistic forms. These drawings were characterized by simplicity and reduction. There was symbolic meaning in the representation of the human figure, as seen in all samples.
Conclusions:
1.The imaginary form in pupils’ drawings was linked to their ability to employ the subject as a sign expressing their perceptual experiences and psychological feelings. It reflects a self-awareness of the surrounding world and reveals emotional and social tendencies that form the focus of the pupil’s interests.
Recommendations:
Greater attention should be given to reading primary school pupils’ drawings from a psychological and educational perspective by art education teachers, considering them as indicators of pupils’ feelings, interests, and cultural environment, rather than merely formal products.

The current research, "The Expressive Significance of the Semiotics of the Female Body in Contemporary Iraqi Painting (According to Greimas's Theory)," examines the expressive significance of the female body according to Greimas's theory in contemporary Iraqi painting during the period 2023-2025. Therefore, in the first chapter, the researcher sought to clarify the research problem, which was defined by answering the following question:"What are the expressive connotations of the semiotics of the female body in contemporary Iraqi painting (according to Greimas' theory)?" Hence the importance of the research and the need for it, as well as the research objective which was represented as follows: "To identify the expressive connotations of the semiotics of the female body in contemporary Iraqi painting (according to Greimas' theory)."The researcher concluded the aforementioned chapter by defining the terms directly related to the research title and objectives. The second chapter presented the theoretical framework and indicators, comprising three sections. The first section established the conceptual framework of meaning and expression. The second section provided an introduction to Greimas's narrative semiotic approach.The third section addressed contemporary Iraqi painting, its origins, and its development. Chapter Three focused on identifying the research population and the data collection tool used. A purposive sample of four works was selected, covering the scope of the research, and analyzed using a descriptive-analytical approach according to the axes of the analytical tool adopted by the researcher. Chapter Four presented the research findings.Among them: 1- The contemporary Iraqi artist adopted the expressive connotations of the female body as an alternative visual language, enabling him to convey an indirect critical discourse through the use of bodily gesture, silence, and semantically charged space, which appeared in all the sample models. This approach contributed to transforming the female body intoA comprehensive semiotic sign that encapsulates complex social experiences, granting the artwork a human dimension that transcends the specificity of the feminist experience to a broader collective horizon.
The conclusions that emerged from this point demonstrate the possibility of achieving the research objectives through the tool designed by the researcher, including the following:1- The physical gesture has surpassed diagnostic features in producing meaning, which has enhanced the symbolic and semiotic character of contemporary Iraqi visual art, in addition to the role of formative elements and relationships such as line, color, space, and movement, etc., in enhancing the expressive significance of the female body, and not as independent aesthetic elements.

This research examines the development of pottery making in ancient Iraq throughout history, as one of the oldest industries linked to the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia. The research aims to highlight the historical stages that pottery making went through, analyze its artistic and technical characteristics, and its role in meeting the daily and ritual needs of ancient Iraqi society.
The research is based on the historical analytical approach by tracing the development of manufacturing methods, firing techniques, and the diversity of pottery shapes and decorations from the Neolithic period up to the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilizations, It also highlights the relationship between the development of pottery and social, economic and cultural transformations, while demonstrating the importance of pottery as a key archaeological source in determining the chronology of ancient civilizations.
The research concludes that the pottery industry in ancient Iraq was not merely a craft activity, but rather constituted a civilizational manifestation reflecting the level of technological progress and artistic taste, and contributed to documenting the cultural and civilizational history of Mesopotamia.

The present study aims to examine the nature of the impact of artistic experiences provided in art education departments at the Open Educational College on the formation of aesthetic sensibility among art education students. The study is grounded in the assumption that aesthetic sensibility represents a complex structure composed of perceptual, emotional, and conceptual dimensions, and that it cannot be achieved merely through the accumulation of artistic experience.
The study adopted a descriptive–analytical approach and employed two main research instruments: a questionnaire designed to measure the level of artistic experiences and aesthetic sensibility from the students’ perspectives, and an artwork analysis tool used to examine visual outcomes in terms of composition, aesthetic expression, use of color, balance and harmony, originality, creativity, and unity of the artwork. The research sample consisted of (24) male and female fourth-year students from the Department of Art Education at the Open Educational College during the academic year (2024–2025), in addition to (24) artistic works analyzed according to the adopted tool.
The questionnaire results indicated that students demonstrated a high level of awareness of the importance of artistic experiences—particularly practical and applied experiences—in developing their artistic skills and aesthetic awareness. The results also revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between the level of artistic experiences and the level of aesthetic sensibility among students.
In contrast, the analysis of the artistic works showed that the embodiment of this aesthetic awareness in students’ artworks was predominantly characterized by a formal–decorative tendency, manifested in clear composition, visual balance, and color harmony, alongside a relative limitation in conceptual originality, deep creativity, and complex aesthetic expression. This finding revealed a gap between students’ self-perceived aesthetic awareness and its actual manifestation in artistic production.
The study concludes that artistic experiences within the open education environment effectively contribute to developing the technical and organizational aspects of aesthetic sensibility; however, they require systematic reinforcement in critical, expressive, and philosophical dimensions to facilitate a transition from formal aesthetic sensibility to a more integrated and complex aesthetic sensibility. The study recommends strengthening the integration between practical, critical, and reflective artistic experiences, and adopting artwork analysis as a continuous qualitative assessment tool for aesthetic development.

The research problem stems from the question of the nature of symbolism in contemporary Iraqi visual art, and how it is constructed as a semantic system that transcends the formal dimension, particularly in the work of the visual artist Faiq Al-Aboudi, and the extent to which this symbolism contributes to embodying Iraqi cultural identity within a contemporary visual discourse. It is observed that in the Iraqi experience, the symbol is not employed as a decorative element, but rather as an intellectual and aesthetic structure that expresses memory, belonging, and existential anxiety, which necessitates an analytical study that reveals its construction mechanisms and meanings.
The research aims to analyze the symbolic depth in the works of the artist Faiq Al-Aboudi, to reveal the sources of his symbols and the mechanisms of their formation, and to explain their relationship to the cultural and social heritage, while clarifying their impact on building a contemporary Iraqi visual identity that combines local particularity and the comprehensive human dimension.
The importance of the research lies in the fact that it contributes to expanding the theoretical understanding of symbolism in contemporary Iraqi visual art, and provides an analytical reading that sheds light on a distinctive artistic experience, thus enhancing critical studies that link formal analysis with the cultural and social context.
The research adopted a descriptive-analytical approach, deemed suitable for the nature of art studies. The selected works were meticulously described, and their formal and symbolic structures were analyzed based on the theoretical framework, which included: the symbol as a complex semantic structure; its relationship to the cultural and social context; its local and popular sources; the dialectical relationship between form and content; and the stylistic specificity in constructing the symbolic sign. The research sample consisted of three deliberately selected paintings created between 2024 and 2025, chosen for their clear symbolic presence and diverse visual meanings.
The research concluded that symbolism in Faiq Al-Aboudi's works represents an alternative visual language to direct expression, based on reducing and intensifying the sign within a cohesive formal structure, where color, line, and composition become tools for producing meaning. The findings also revealed that the artist's symbolism is rooted in a local cultural reservoir drawn from heritage and collective memory, yet it is reformulated within a contemporary abstract vision that grants it human dimensions open to interpretation. The study demonstrated that symbolism in this experience is not merely a formal approach, but a conscious intellectual and aesthetic stance that contributes to building a contemporary visual discourse reflecting Iraqi cultural identity in its interaction with social and existential transformations.

Stained glass is considered one of the aesthetic techniques in interior design and architecture, and it has played an important role in the local heritage of the Arabian Peninsula. It was used in houses, palaces, and temples as a means of decorating windows, doors, and interior partitions, adding a combination of beauty and cultural identity to the space. Stained glass is not limited to its aesthetic role alone, but it carries multiple meanings, reflecting social and cultural values as well as the human experience associated with interior spaces, and through it, inherited meanings and symbols can be drawn upon to form modern design visions. The authentic heritage of stained glass is not merely decoration, but a model for expressing the spirit and the symbols present in interior spaces. This research focuses on the spiritual and aesthetic manifestations of stained glass in interior spaces and how these elements can contribute to enriching the user experience and enhancing the sense of sanctity and tranquility within places of worship. By analyzing the symbols and visual expressions in stained glass, the study aims to investigate the psychological and spiritual dimensions that stained glass can bring to a space and how they can be integrated into contemporary design while preserving heritage and meeting the needs of the present. Spiritual manifestations are among the most important foundations of worship in various religions as they contribute to humility and reflection among worshippers, and from this perspective, the design of the space becomes an effective means of generating this sense of devotion by employing aesthetic and spiritual features of the space in a balanced way to achieve harmony between the environment and the spiritual experience of worship. The current research problem can be summarized in the following question: “What are the aesthetic and spiritual manifestations resulting from the use of stained glass in the interior design of places of worship?” ,The research aims to reveal these spiritual and aesthetic manifestations in the use of stained glass in the interior design of places of worship, and its theoretical framework includes two sections: the first section covers the aesthetic and expressive values of stained glass in the interior space, and the second section addresses the aesthetic elements and the psychological and spiritual dimensions in stained glass design, The research, in its theoretical study, relied on a descriptive-analytical approach based on various sources and references, The research reached a set of conclusions that clearly summarized the theoretical objective data and the main foundations, the most important of which are: sunlight contributes to the beauty of stained glass throughout the day through the dynamic movement of light, changing colors and shadows on floors and walls, making the aesthetic experience continuously renewed in worship spaces. Light and color in stained glass are among the essential means for the spiritual and aesthetic experience, as their role is not limited to the physical only, but they transform into a symbolic and spiritual tool that evokes feelings of elevation and sanctity in the space, and the research then provides a set of recommendations.

This study investigates the mechanisms through which folk heritage operates in children’s theatre performances, viewing it as an expressive and cultural system capable of integrating both educational and aesthetic dimensions simultaneously. The play “Ten out of Ten” is adopted as an applied model for analysis.
The research is based on the hypothesis that employing elements of folk heritage—including tales, proverbs, folk songs, and social values—contributes to strengthening the child’s value system while simultaneously enriching the aesthetic structure of the theatrical performance.
The study adopts the descriptive-analytical method in examining the performance by deconstructing its narrative structure, analyzing characters, exploring scenographic treatments, and identifying patterns of acting, as well as revealing the nature of the interaction between educational messages and aesthetic dimensions.
The research is structured into four chapters in accordance with established academic research design. The first chapter presents the methodological framework, including the research problem, significance, objectives, limitations, and key terminology. The second chapter constitutes the theoretical framework and is divided into three sections addressing the conceptual and structural foundations that shape the educational and aesthetic functions of folk heritage within children’s theatre. The third chapter outlines the research procedures, including the population, sample, research instrument, methodology, and the analysis of the selected sample. The fourth chapter presents the findings, conclusions, proposals, and recommendations.

The current research, entitled "The Dialectic of Visual Language and Meaning in Contemporary Kurdish Art," presents an analytical study of contemporary Kurdish artworks in light of the dialectical relationship between visual language and the construction of meaning. It focuses on how visual elements are employed to produce aesthetic and intellectual connotations within the contemporary cultural and social context. The research comprises four chapters. The first chapter outlines the research problem, its significance, objectives, limitations, and definitions of terms. The research problem is defined by the following questions:
1. How are the elements of visual language (movement, lighting, form, place, and space) employed in constructing artistic meaning in contemporary Kurdish art?
2. What is the nature of the dialectical relationship between visual language and meaning in contemporary Kurdish artworks?
3. How does the cultural and social context influence the formation of the relationship between visual language and artistic meaning?
The importance of this research lies in bridging the knowledge gap in critical and artistic studies related to contemporary art, particularly concerning the dialectical relationship between visual language and artistic meaning. It clarifies the mechanisms for producing aesthetic and conceptual meanings in contemporary Kurdish works and highlights the methods artists employ in using elements of visual language to convey artistic meaning.
The first chapter outlines the research objectives, which focus on revealing how elements of visual language are employed in contemporary Kurdish art. It also seeks to uncover the nature of the dialectical relationship between visual language and meaning in contemporary Kurdish artworks, as well as to explore the influence of the cultural and social context on shaping the relationship between visual language and artistic meaning.
The scope of the research, as defined in the first chapter, is limited to studying contemporary artworks in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq during the period 2020-2023. The study employs a descriptive-analytical approach, encompassing both theoretical and procedural dimensions. It also defines some of the terms used in the research.
The second chapter presents the theoretical framework, which includes the following themes:
1. The concept of visual language; 2. The concept of meaning. 3. Visual Language in Contemporary Kurdish Art. The theoretical framework concludes by extracting key indicators to be used in analyzing the research sample.
Chapter Three addresses the research procedures, including the research methodology, the research population, the research sample, data collection tools, and the analytical tool. The sample, consisting of three models, is then analyzed. Chapter Four presents the research results and conclusions.

This research explores the duality of hope and despair as a crucial aspect of human life and perspective, both internally, in relation to oneself, and externally, through interactions with others. These factors influence behavior, impacting successes, ambitions, and periods of defeat. The study examines this duality through various mechanisms, as manifested in theatrical texts. These texts reveal dimensions and visions intertwined with the author's subjectivity, imagination, and lived experiences across different historical periods. The study also considers the diverse intellectual and psychological dimensions of this duality, as well as the political, social, economic, intellectual, and religious contexts. The research begins with an introduction outlining the research problem, its significance, and its objectives. The theoretical framework, comprising two sections, provides a theoretical foundation for the research: the meaning and concept of the duality of hope and despair, and its manifestation in international theatrical texts. The research concludes with a set of indicators used to analyze the sample. Following this analysis, the research yielded several findings, including:

Modern education is witnessing radical transformations due to the digital revolution and the growing role of interactive technologies in the learning process. Contemporary teaching strategies now aim to integrate fun and engagement into educational activities in order to enhance learners’ motivation and foster their creative abilities. In this context, the present study investigates the effectiveness of digital educational games in developing free drawing skills among secondary school students, as an innovative pedagogical approach that combines both cognitive and artistic aspects within an interactive learning environment.
The research problem lies in the low motivation of students to practice free drawing through traditional methods, which negatively affects their artistic creativity. To address this, the study employed an experimental design with two groups (experimental and control), using pre- and post-tests to measure the impact of the strategy on developing free drawing skills. The sample consisted of secondary school students from the Al-Rusafa First Directorate of Education in Baghdad during the academic year 2025–2026.
The significance of this study lies in its theoretical contribution to the field of education by linking digital educational games with art education, and its practical value in providing teachers with a modern instructional model that enhances student interaction and artistic creativity. The findings indicate that employing digital educational games improves students’ free drawing skills and increases their motivation to engage in artistic activities in a more enjoyable and effective way, making this strategy a promising tool for developing educational curricula.

The present research addresses the theme of technique as an entry point to performative diversity in Arab and Islamic decorative arts. The study consists of four chapters. The first chapter focuses on the methodological framework of the research, represented by the research problem defined as: How did decorative techniques, as mechanisms of execution and material and intellectual processing, contribute to achieving performative and technical diversity in Arab and Islamic decorative arts, and what is the reflection of this on the aesthetic and expressive values of these arts?
This chapter also includes the importance of the research and the need for it, the research objective, which is to identify technique as an entry point to performative and technical diversity, as well as the research boundaries. These boundaries are defined by the subject matter, represented by decorative abstractions executed on brick; the temporal limits, set in the seventeenth Hijri century; and the spatial limits, confined to Al-Mustansiriya School in Baghdad. In addition, the most important terms used in the research are defined.
The second chapter addresses two sections: the first deals with Arab and Islamic ornamentation in terms of its characteristics and identity, while the second discusses the concept of style and technique and their applications in Arab and Islamic decorative arts. The third chapter is devoted to research procedures, including the research population, which consisted of (50) intentionally selected models representing the research sample, analyzed according to the descriptive-analytical method (content analysis). The study concludes with the presentation of the most important results in the fourth chapter, followed by key conclusions, and finally recommendations and suggestions.
Among the most significant results are the following:
1-Technique represents an active structural element in shaping the decorative system and is not merely a means of execution; rather, it directly contributes to determining the nature of geometric composition and the degree of abstraction, as shown in models (1, 2).
2-The techniques of carving and stone relief (high and low relief) demonstrate their role in creating performative diversity based on variations in depth levels, resulting in light contrast and visual rhythm without reliance on color, as shown in models (1, 2, 3(.

This study examines the production of the theatrical image between the designer and the director’s vision in educational theatre. The research is structured into four chapters. The first chapter presents the methodological framework, outlining the significance of the study, its problem, objectives, and key terms. The research problem is formulated as follows: What is the importance of the relationship between the designer and the director’s vision in producing the theatrical image in educational theatre?
The second chapter addresses the theoretical framework and previous studies through three sections: the artistic vision between designer and director, the concept of the theatrical image, and educational theatre. It concludes with theoretical indicators adopted as analytical tools.
The third chapter explains the research procedures, including the population, methodology, and research instrument. An analytical questionnaire was developed, validated by experts, and finalized for application. The research population consisted of 23 theatrical performances presented at the College of Fine Arts, Wasit University, during the academic year (2023–2024). The play The Golden Touch was intentionally selected as the research sample.
The fourth chapter presents the main findings, most notably the integration of artistic visions between the director and the designer. The designer successfully reflected the director’s visual conception through a scenographic design characterized by a tribal-style house setting, incorporating hanging carpets dominated by red, blue, and green tones, thereby contributing to the aesthetic and conceptual construction of the performance.