Faisal Laibi Sahi

Born in Basra, Iraq in 1947, Faisel Laibi Sahi graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts 1968 and the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Baghdad 1971. He obtained a diploma from the École Nationale Supérieure des BeauxArts in Paris 1981, and a postgraduate diploma in Art History from the Sorbonne University. He lived in Italy, then moved to Algeria, where he taught art at the School of Fine Arts in Skikda, and later moved to London in 1991 where he still resides.

Laibi Sahi was influenced by art from a young age, growing up in an artistic family. His art reflects social themes drawn from Iraqi culture, as well as his political stances artistically. Despite maturing as a visual artist outside his country, the teachings of the Baghdad Modern Art Group and the ancient and Islamic Iraqi cultural heritage still guide his steps, through which he seeks Iraqi local identity and personality. His paintings are characterized by their vivid colors and are influenced by the sunny and clear Iraqi environment and climate. He combines reality and imagination in his paintings, trying to benefit from contemporary aesthetic results and his local environment.