Rafa Al Nasiri

Rafa Al Nasiri (1940-2013), born in Tikrit, Iraq, was an ingenious, dedicated painter and printmaker who studied art at the Institute of Fine Arts, Baghdad. Al Nasiri received a scholarship to enhance his academic studies in Beijing, China, and became the first Iraqi artist to specialise in graphic art. He was later granted another scholarship to Portugal. To promote the art of printmaking in Iraq, he established a special department in the Institute of Fine Arts, Baghdad, and later, in 1987, a private graphic studio in Baghdad. Rafa Al Nasiri spent twenty five years teaching art at the Institute of Fine Arts Baghdad (1964-1989) while freely practising painting and printmaking.

In the aftermath of the Gulf War in 1991, he relocated to Amman, Jordan, to teach art until 1997, when he joined Bahrain University. In 2003, he settled back in Amman, Jordan, as a full-time artist, leaving behind a legacy of influence in modern art. Rafa Al Nasiri, considered one of the leading modern innovators in Iraq and the Arab world, extended the reach of his art beyond his home country. His works are collected in museums around the world, and stand as a testament to his influence in the Arab world and beyond.