Naziha Salim was an Iraqi artist and author whose artwork was recognized by UAE’s Barjeel Art Foundation on April 23, 2020. To mark her accomplishment, Google celebrated Salim today through an illustrative doodle that portrays her with a paintbrush in hand.

Who was Naziha Salim? 

Born in 1927 in Istanbul, Turkey, Naziha Salim came from a lineage of renowned Iraqi artists. Her father was a painter, her mother was an embroidery expert, and all her three siblings worked in artistic professions. Her brother, Jawad Salim, is one of Iraq’s most celebrated sculptors. On the other hand, her brother Rashid was a political cartoonist and her sibling Su’ad Salim was a painter/designer. 

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With spectacular artistic flair, Naziha Salim became one of the first women at Baghdad Fine Arts Institute to bag a scholarship for pursuing art overseas. Learning the skill at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, Salim specialized in mural painting and fresco. 

The Iraqi art icon was not only a valuable figure in her country’s art community but was also a foundation member of Al-Ruwwad, an art group consisting of people who studied abroad and learned how to blend modern European art with Iraqi elements. 

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After spending years in Paris, Salim returned to Baghdad to teach at the Fine Arts Institute until retirement. During her time in the capital city, she authored ‘Iraq: Contemporary Art’, a significant literary piece that contributed to the country’s modern art movement. 

In 2003, Naziha Salim suffered paralysis after experiencing a stroke. In 2008, she died in Baghdad at the age of 81. 

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Her artwork continues to catch wandering eyes at the Modern Art Iraqi Archive and the Sharjah Art Museum in UAE.