Kareem Risan

KAREEM RISAN was born in Baghdad in 1960. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Art, Baghdad, in 1987. In the early 1990s he held three solo exhibitions in Baghdad – in 1992, 1994 and 1996. In 1997 he held his first exhibition in Amman in the Dar al-Mashriq gallery and the next year his fifth solo exhibition in Baghdad at the French Cultural Centre. He has participated in many group exhibitions since 1986, in Norway, Iraq, Egypt, France, Tunisia, USA, Jordan, Denmark, UK and Venezuela. He has received many awards for his work, including 3rd prize at the Cairo International Biennial in 1988, and in 1998 the Golden Prize at the Tunis al-Mahres International Festival. His work is held in private collections around the world and in the public collection of Darat al-Funun, Amman. March-May 2003 he participated in Contemporary Art from Arab Countries in Darmstadt, Germany, and in September 2003 in Visions of Iraq at the Deluxe Gallery, London, with other Iraqi artists from Iraq and the UK as part of the before-afternow festival of Iraq culture taking place in London. Kareem Risan lives and works in Baghdad. FRONT COVER: Untitled, 50cm x 50cm, oil on wood, 2003