Serwan Baran’s gestural and expressive style is revealed on the large canvas. Produced in 2023, one could speculate that the work is an expressive translation of the aftermath of the Beirut Port Explosion. Ultimately a message of hope, the thick impasto of vibrant colors exude a glimmer of positivity in the wake of what appears to be the aftermath of a disaster. Though untitled, the piece greatly resembles a series of paintings produced by the artist which portray the inspirational efforts of volunteers and citizens in Beirut who banded together in the face of hardship to piece back together the devastated city. 

Baran is a painter and sculptor adopting both a realistic and gestural expressionist style. His work often explores political themes, focusing on the tumultuous history of Iraq, the complexities of war, and the social struggles of marginalized communities. Baran's art series typically center around specific social groups, portraying them as protagonists in historical dramas. These groups range from workers and prisoners to wounded soldiers, generals, and nurses.

Baran earned a BFA from the University of Babylon, College of Fine Arts in 1990, receiving a youth prize in Baghdad that same year. He gained further recognition by winning the first and second prizes at the Baghdad International Festival of Plastic Arts in 1994 and 1995. Throughout the 1990s, his work was featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Iraq. In 2001, he participated in the Ayloul Summer Academy, a residency program at Darat al-Funun in Amman, Jordan. Following the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, Baran relocated to Jordan, where he continued his artistic journey. Since 2013, he has been residing and working in Beirut.

In 2019, Baran's solo exhibition "Fatherland" represented Iraq at the 58th International Venice Biennale, curated by Tamara Chalabi and Paolo Colombo.  Other solos include: “A Harsh Beauty” (Saleh Barakat Gallery, Beirut, 2020; “Indelible Memory” (Gallery Misr, Cairo, 2020); “Canines” (Agial Art Gallery, Beirut, 2018); “Living on the Edge” (Nabad Art Gallery, Amman, 2013); “Elected” (Matisse Art Gallery, Marrakech,2013); and “Whispers” (Orfali Art Gallery, Amman, 2012), among others. He has participated in group exhibitions, notably at Saleh Barakat Gallery, Beirut (2018); The Mojo Gallery, Dubai (2015); Al-Markhiya Gallery, Doha (2013). His work was also featured in the Cairo Biennale (1999, 2019); Al-Kharafi Biennial, Kuwait (2011); and the Marrakech Biennale (2012).