In Mosul exhibition, Iraqi artists process brutal rule of Islamic State

A man looks at the painting during an art exhibition at the Mosul Museum Hall in Mosul, Iraq January 30, 2019. Picture taken January 30, 2019. REUTERS/Ari Jalal NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

MOSUL, Iraq(Reuters) - A raven perched on the shoulder of a woman with flaming hair is Iraqi artist Marwan Fathi's symbol for the terrible events he and his home city Mosul have had to endure.

Three years under the oppressive and violent rule of Islamic State and the military campaign which drove it out in 2017 left much of the northern city in ruins. Thousands were killed, rendered homeless or maimed. Those who survived are deeply traumatised.