Naziha Salim Biography: Early Life, Work, Family, Education, and more about Iraqi Contemporary Art Genius
Naziha Salim Biography: She was described on this day in 2020 as "one of the most influential artists in Iraq's contemporary art-science".
On April 23, 2022 (today), the Google Doodle is dedicated to Naziha Salim and celebrates her work and life of her. She was an Iraqi contemporary art genius. Google said that she was spotlighted by the Barjeel Art Foundation in their collection of female artists on April 23, 2020.
April 23's Doodle is a combination of two pics-Salim holding a brush and her work, which always focused on rural Iraqi women. Therefore, her works depict the rural Iraqi women and the life of peasants through old brush strokes and vivid colours. Today's Google Doodle tribute is to the style in which Salim painted and her contribution to the arts.
Naziha Salim: Key Facts
| Born | 1927 |
| Place of Birth | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Died | February 15, 2008 |
| Place of Death | Baghdad |
| Father | Hajji Mohammed Salim |
| Education | Institute of Arts in Baghdad, Ecole des Beaux-Arts (Paris) |
| Famous for | Painting |
Naziha Salim Biography: Early Life, Family, Education, and More
Salim was born into a family of Iraqi artists in Turkey in 1927 and painted the scene. Her father, named Hajji Mohammed Salim, was a pinter and her mother was a skilled embroidery artist. She had three brothers who worked in the arts, including Jawad, who was widely considered one of Iraq's most influential sculptors. She has always enjoyed creating her own artwork.
She went to the Baghdad Fine Arts Institute, where she studied painting and graduated with distinction. Due to her hard work and passion for art, she was awarded a scholarship and became the first woman to receive it, continuing her education in Paris at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts. After completing her graduation, she spent several more years abroad and immersed herself in art and culture.
She returned to the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad, where she would teach until retirement. She was active in Iraq's community. She was also one of the founding members of Al-Ruwwad which is a community of artists that study abroad and incorporate art techniques from Europe into the Iraqi aesthetic.
Naziha Salim: Works
Later, she authored Iraq: Contemporary Art, which continued as a significant resource in the early development of Iraq's modern art movement.
Her themes of painting revolve around the representation of women and families, including her own family, rural Iraqi women, peasant women, women at work, Mesopotamian and Arab goddesses, etc. She also participated in several experimental movements, and her work often illustrated the changes taking place in the lives of women.
Naziha Salim: Paintings, Artworks
Paintings are:
Dancers, date unknown
One Night's Dream, 1978
The Martyr’s Wife, date unknown, now in the Barjeel Collection
Her artworks hang at the Sharjah Art Museum and the Modern Art Iraqi Archive. No doubt she created the magic with dripping brushes and brimmed canvases. Therefore, today's doodle is dedicated to Salim's artwork and a celebration of her long-standing contributions to the art world!
