31 - NURI AL-RAWI (IRAQI 1925-2014)

NURI AL-RAWI (IRAQI 1925-2014) RAWI CITY signed and dated Nuri / Al Rawi1993 in Arabic lower left oil on canvas 44.6 x 55.2cm unframed Property from a Private Collection, London Born in the riverside town of Rawa, Iraq, Nuri al-Rawi grew up to become one of the nation’s most influential modern artists, critics, and cultural stewards. After completing his education at the Teachers' College in Baghdad in 1941, he initially embarked on a teaching career while cultivating a deep-seated passion for literature, art history, and journalism. Early on, he immersed himself in global art movements, publishing columns and delivering lectures that championed modern art across the Arab world. As his artistic and public profile expanded, al-Rawi became a central figure in the Iraqi art scene. He helped shape the prominent al-Ruwad (the Pioneers Group) and earned a painting diploma from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad in 1959. His commitment to public arts education and cultural commentary drove him to establish pioneering platforms, including the influential Dunya al-Fann (The World of Art) newspaper column in 1951 and several pioneering television programmes dedicated to modern art, such as Zawiyat al-Fann (Art Corners). Al-Rawi’s leadership extended deep into institutional management when he successfully persuaded the government to establish the National Museum of Modern Art in Baghdad, serving as its director from 1962 to 1974. Alongside his administrative and critical achievements, including co-founding the Art Critics Association in Iraq, he maintained a prolific creative practice. His early works drew heavily on childhood memories of Rawa's whitewashed houses, dunes, and riverbanks. Over the decades, his style evolved from Impressionist-influenced landscapes into lyrical abstraction and metaphysical symbolism, frequently weaving together geometric forms, Arabic calligraphy, and folkloric motifs like al-Buraq. Remembered as a pioneer of Iraqi modernism, al-Rawi died in Baghdad on May 13, 2014, leaving behind a profound legacy as both an evocative painter and a foundational architect of Iraqi art criticism.