Neziha Selim (Iraqi, 1923-2008)

Born into a family of artists, Iraqi painter Neziha Selim was one of the few female pioneers of the male-dominated Iraqi Modern art circle. Sister to artists Jewad and Nazar Selim, Neziha studied at the Baghdad Fine Arts Institution in the 1940s and left to Paris before she returned to her hometown as a teacher at her alma mater. Painted during her stay in Kuwait with Nazar's family in 1980, the present work depicts a delightful set of women, dressed in traditional clothing with traditional Iraqi architecture. It shows the artist's deep passion and love for her native homeland that was poignant at a time where the country was involved in the tumultuous Iran-Iraq war.