Additional info:
Salim al-Dabbagh, (b. 1951 - d. 2022, Iraqi) is a celebrated abstract painter and printmaker from Mosul, renowned for his dark, abstract style that often incorporates black and white spaces to create enigmatic atmospheres. In the 1960s, during his education at the Institute of Fine Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad, he was influenced by pioneers like Faik Hassan and Jewad Selim. Al-Dabbagh's career flourished when he co-founded The Innovationists art collective in 1965 alongside other notable Iraqi art figures like Ali Talib, Faik Hassan, Saleh al-Jumaie, among others. Nominated by the Iraqi Artists Association for a scholarship with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, al-Dabbagh left Iraq for Lisbon, where he spent two years studying graphic art and exhibiting his work for Portuguese audiences. This experience propelled him into the world of the endless possibilities of abstract art and left a lasting impression on the artist, his styles and techniques. His tenure as a teacher and Head of the Graphic Design Department at the Institute of Fine Arts until 2000 further cemented his influence on Iraqi art. Al-Dabbagh’s work has been held in several public and private institutions as well as being featured at several international events, including the Iraqi Contemporary Art Exhibition in Dubai (2008). Despite leaving for Damascus post-2003 due to political instability, he returned and continues to live and work in Iraq.
