Kingston artist looks to rebuild life after fleeing war torn Iraq

A newcomer to Kingston fled to Canada from the conflict in Iraq and is trying to pull his life together through his art.

With the swing of a hammer and the pull of some thread, Husham Fatla is making beautiful art.

He says he’s been working as a carpenter for over 30 years — a trade that he takes great pride in.

“I believe work is the most important thing for people,” he says.

He says he opened a carpentry shop in Iraq where he served his community for years until the Iraqi civil war changed everything. The war cost him dearly, robbing him of not just his shop but also his ability to walk.

“During the war, I got the gunshot which determined my mobility. I stayed in the hospital for three years to get back to work and stand up again, but I have a limited ability to walk.”

No longer feeling safe, he fled for Canada and began trying to rebuild his life here. But he says he didn’t just want to live here, he also wanted to contribute. That was when he got the idea to teach himself how to make thread-based art.

Manal Shalabi, who has been helping Fatla settle into his new life in Kingston, says that watching him overcome so many obstacles has inspired her.

“Even though he is in a wheelchair and he is not speaking English. I see that he has a really strong mentality,” Shalabi says.