Ali Eyal, a 31-year-old artist based in Los Angeles, was featured in CULTURED's 2025 Young Artists list. His multidisciplinary practice addresses the violence he and his family experienced from the U.S. military during his upbringing in Baghdad in the 1990s and 2000s, as well as what he calls 'the after war.' His work uses grotesque, cartoonish figures to depict state violence, and he cites pieces like his video installation *Tonight's Programme* and a planned reconstruction of his father's burned car as central to his practice. Eyal was a standout in the latest Istanbul Biennial and the Hammer Museum's 2025 'Made in L.A.' exhibition.
This profile matters because it highlights a rising artist whose work directly confronts the long-term psychological and material consequences of war, offering a deeply personal yet politically resonant perspective. Eyal's inclusion in major biennials and a prominent museum survey signals growing institutional recognition for artists addressing trauma and displacement through imaginative, non-realist forms. His critique of prioritizing fame over artistic depth also reflects a broader conversation within the contemporary art world about values and sustainability.