Murals bring colour to battle-scarred Baghdad

Street by street, murals are brightening the buildings of Baghdad. They're the creation of Iraqi artist Wijdan al-Majed.

Her painting frequently means she works by herself into the night, which has led to objections from some people with traditional values. She's got used to these, but has changed minds too.

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."

The city's infrastructure has got worse for three decades due to international sanctions, the 2003 US-led war and the fighting that followed.

The murals project's the creation of the Baghdadmayor, Alaa Maan. It aims to give the city new life.

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."

The murals' subjects are a mix of everyday people and well-known figures. Al-Majed's currently finishing one of Iraqi poet Muzaffer al-Nawab, whose opposition to the country's governments put him in jail for years.

There are images of other important Iraqis such as modern artist Jawad Salim and Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi-British architect. Figures of global importance, from saint Mother Teresa to sociologist Max Weber are also painted.

Although Mayor Alaa Maan decides who goes on Baghdad's walls, it's al-Majed's talents which create the impact. She's delighted that her work can now be seen by many more people.

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