Big art makes a city bright - 18th May 2022

These big paintings are murals. They're in Baghdad. Murals make grey walls beautiful. Iraqi artist Wijdan al-Majed is painting them.

Al-Majed often paints outside late at night. Some people worried about this. Other people didn't like woman artists.

Wijdan al-Majed: "I stay late in the streets, sometimes until midnight, 1 am or even 2 am. People worry, because women are not supposed to stay out this late painting. Also, people say things which I have learned to live with. Over time, I grew to make peace with them, and they began to accept me as I began to accept them. They got used to seeing a woman painting."

Baghdad's buildings aren't in good condition. The city had big problems for 30 years. There was a war. Then local people fought each other.

Mayor Alaa Maan wanted Baghdad to look good.

Alaa Maan: "The idea was to bring beauty to the city and move art to the streets - in order to get rid of the grey colour in the streets, which is the colour of the dust that has accumulated over the last 40 years due to devastation and destruction."

Al-Majed paints murals of ordinary people and famous people. She's finishing a mural of a famous Iraqi writer. He wrote about problems with governments.

Another painting is of an important Iraqi artist, Jawad Salim. Architect Zaha Hadid is in another mural.

Al-Majed paints international people too. These include Mother Teresa.

The mayor chooses the people. Then al-Majed paints them in bright colours. She's happy about the murals. Lots of people can see her art.