I was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and grew up during a period marked by by Saddam Hussein’s reign, the Iran-Iraq War, and the Gulf War. These experiences shaped a practical outlook and strong survival instincts. After leaving Iraq, I lived on four continents and immigrated twice, gaining exposure to a wide range of cultural environments that continue to inform my creative work.
I hold degrees in art, design, and engineering, which support both the pragmatic and the conceptual aspects of my practice. I see myself as a visual storyteller, drawing on a life shaped by displacement, diversity, and transformation to develop narratives that reflect personal experience and broader human themes. I currently live and work in New York City.
Permanent Collections
My work can be found in the permanent collections of museums and institutions such as:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art _ New York
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) _ Los Angeles
- The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art _ Taiwan
- The Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (Shangri La) _ Honolulu
- Honolulu Museum of Art _ Honolulu
- The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art _ Ithaca, NY
- The Barjeel Foundation _ Sharjah, UAE
- The Farjam Foundation _ Dubai, UAE
- Black Gold Museum _ Riyadth, Saudi Arabia
Musuem Exhibits
I have exhibited work in the Middle East, New Zealand, Europe and the U.S. Most recent exhibits include: the Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii; Taiwan National Museum of Art, Taiwan; Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in North Carolina; University of Michigan Museum of Art; Nevada Museum of Art; Los Angeles Municipal Gallery in Los Angeles; the Queens Museum, the Austrian Cultural forum and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum in New York; the Station Museum in Houston, Texas; the Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah in the UAE.