From a young age, Hamza Al Barzinji was an avid artist and author who sought to express himself through a variety of media including film, fiction, and cartooning with an overall love for good storytelling. He appreciated and curated a collection of classical literature, modern drama, graphic novels, and a variety of music that inspired him to know more about the world in bygone eras as well as present day places he was not himself a part of. Through all of these, he recognized the underdog, the complicated hero, or the way someone’s own story might be misunderstood.

 

 He also developed a set of comic characters of his own who experienced mundane life as well as brought to the fore special abilities within a series of story frames and illustrated books.With a Kashmiri mother and Iraqi father, Hamza was also deeply curious about his own heritage and the stories of his varied ancestors. He taught himself how to repair and colorize old photographs, and found joy in sharing these with far flung family members he'd never even met, recognizing that images could often bridge souls better than language, and that exploring our shared histories ties us closer together in the present.

 

On his own initiative, Hamza began exploring the richly diverse interconnectedness of his past, researching his genealogical history and delighting to find just how wonderfully mixed up his DNA was. Having already visited his South Asian origins in Kashmir, Hamza chartered a whirlwind adventure across the Middle East in the summer of 2016 to reconnect with his roots, taking his family along for the ride. It was at the height of this expedition that Hamza left this world for the ultimate journey with the Divine. His passion for family, the arts, and cultural discovery remain alive as ever in the souls of all who loved him dearly.