Born 1960 Baghdad, Iraq
Kareem Risan graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad with a degree in painting in 1988, he also studied Media and photography in Ontario Art Council, Toronto in 2010.
Risan left his country in 2005 after having witnessed the outbreak of the two Gulf Wars. His work reflects his experiences amid the escalation in violence and political turmoil following the 2003 US led invasion of Iraq, where he was a soldier. His art highlights the complexities of Iraq’s turbulent cultural history through periods of tragic Iraqi destruction and carnage caused by war.
Risan has participated in numerous international group exhibitions. His work is represented in, among others, the collections of the British Museum, London; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar; Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan.
Risan lives and works in Toronto, Canada.
