Al-Nasiri studied painting and printmaking in Baghdad, Beijing and Lisbon. Since 1963, he held over 35 solo exhibitions in the Middle East, Europe and the Far East and participated in numerous group exhibitions and international biennials around the world. Al-Nasiri was awarded the First Prize at the Baghdad International Festival of Art in 1986; the Honors Prize at the 4th International Graphics Biennial, Fredrikstad, Norway in 1978; the Jury Prize at the International Painting Exhibition, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France in 1977; and the Honors Prize at the International Summer Academy, Salzburg, Austria in 1974. Al-Nasiri published two books, in Arabic: Contemporary Graphic Art in 1997 and Horizons and Mirrors: Essays on Plastic Art in 2005. Painter and printmaker Rafa Al-Nasiri is widely-known in the Arab world and beyond for his culturally rich artworks and distinctive style. During the last decade, he was inspired by poetry as varied as that of Al-Mutanabbi, Mahmoud Darwish and Etel Adnan. This poetic journey, coupled with a preoccupation with the element of time, has produced works that celebrate beauty, love and the homeland. His abstract works on paper, canvas and board draw nature as a source of inspiration and often include Arabic calligraphy. Rafa al-Nasiri died in Amman on the 7th of December 2013.
