Cover picture

Schezophrenie. Dhiya Jasim (b. 1966)

Dhiya M. Jasim was born in Shatra-Nasiriyah, 300 km south of Baghdad, in 1966. He has a diploma from the Institute of Technology but he never worked. Dhiya has suffered from schizophrenia since 1995

and has had frequent admissions to

Al-Rashad mental hospital in Baghdad.

Following the collapse of the previous regime in 2003 and during the chaos that followed, the hospital fell victim to looting and many of the patients and staff had to flee. Dhiya returned to his home in the south of Iraq but was readmitted a few weeks later in a very distressed and disturbed state.

Dhiya's illness has influenced his paintings. Many of his works are attempts to express the suffering and distress resulting from his condition. He describes schizophrenia as a hammer that splits the head of the sufferer.

Despite the fact that the hospital is located in a previously violent and unstable area, this did not stop Dhiya from pursuing his interest in the arts. He is interested in painting, music and psychodrama and continues to be actively involved in all these activities.

Image and text provided by Dr Jameel Muslim, Medical Director of Al Rashad hospital, Baghdad, Iraq.