Hashim Al Samarrai

Hashim Al Samarrai was born in Samarra, Iraq in 1969, and is one of ten children. Painting is so central to Hashim’s identity that he began painting before he could read or write. He graduated from the prestigious Baghdad Institute of Fine Arts in 1991, just after the Gulf War. During the crushing economic sanctions, all goods - including canvas, paint, wood, and brushes - were extremely difficult to find. When they were available, they were very expensive. Hashim’s ingenuity took over, and he stretched scraps of cloth or worn-out clothes and painted over them with white paint. Once the paint dried, it imitated uneven canvas. Hashim harnessed the inherent roughness of his homemade canvas to create rich texture and depth in his paintings. He masters the Orientalist style popular to the region, and he became so well-respected in the Middle East and North Africa that art dealers sold Hashim’s art as far away as Algeria. To this day, he is considered one of Iraq’s premier oil painters.

When reflecting on his career as an artist for the past 33 years, but specifically during the last 21, Hashim states, “Unquestionably, painting breathes air into my lungs and allows me to separate myself from my bitter surroundings and remain optimistic. It allows me to press forward amidst a life marred by fear, debilitating uncertainty, and terror. Like a delicate butterfly, painting gives me wings strong enough to float above the chaos. I dream and work toward opportunities to break the chains that tether me from expanding my talent and sharing my gifts with the world.”

Hashim’s paintings have been featured in several American and Middle Eastern galleries and his commissions are found in personal collections throughout the world.