Displayed in the British Museum’s Islamic world gallery is a drawing by Hafed Al-Droubi, my grandfather and one of the pioneers of Iraq’s modern art scene. The ink-on-paper sketch, entitled The Goal, depicts four men climbing up a ladder, scrambling to reach the top. I had a sense of déjà vu when I stood in front of the drawings recently: not so long ago, the picture was hung on the wall in my living room. I felt as though I was back home, sitting down on the sofa gazing at it. Yet in the museum, every time I looked more closely, something new would pop up that I hadn’t noticed before.

Read More: My Grandfather, the Baghdadi Artist