Framed portraits created by Iraqi artist Mundher Nasser using a soldering iron are displayed at his first solo exhibition in Samawah. The pieces are made by burning images into wood — a technique he discovered by accident while repairing electronics. Photo by 964media
Muthanna artist turns soldering iron into storytelling tool through pyrography
MUTHANNA — At the Central Library in the southern city of Samawah, visitors are pausing not in front of oil paintings or ink sketches, but over burn marks etched into wood, leather, and paper — part of a debut solo exhibition by Mundher Nasser, an artist from the Al-Khidhir district who has turned an accidental discovery into a distinctive art form.
Nasser practices pyrography, the technique of burning images into surfaces — but rather than using specialized tools, he relies on a common soldering iron.
“I discovered the technique while fixing electronic devices with a soldering iron,” Nasser told 964media. “As I wiped the tip on a piece of wood, it left beautiful lines. That’s how the idea was born. I began using it for sketching instead of a brush or pen, transferring images and burning them into the surface.”
His exhibition, modest in size but warmly received by the local community, features years of work. Each piece is painstakingly crafted — some over the course of months, others over years, as unreliable electricity, basic tools, and daily life interrupted progress.
“I’m very happy to open my first solo exhibition, which is the result of many years of work,” Nasser said. “I’m an artist in several disciplines — theater, sketching, painting, and burning on different materials. I’ve created works that bring spirit to these inanimate objects.”
Depending on the material, Nasser heats his soldering iron to between 100 and 500 degrees Celsius. The result is rich in texture and contrast — but the process comes with physical risks.
“Continuous exposure to smoke and heat from the wood can cause harm,” he said. “I wear masks when I can.”
Though the method arose from a moment of chance, Nasser has turned it into a signature approach — drawing attention from artists and residents alike in a region not often associated with experimental visual art.