Shaker Hassan al-Said, best known for his contribution to abstract painting in the region, obtained a degree in Sociology in 1948 and a Diploma from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad in 1952. Shaker Hassan studied at the Académie Julian, the École des Arts Décoratifs and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris between 1955 and 1959. In cooperation with Iraqi painter Jawad Salim, he founded the Baghdad Modern Art Group in 1951. In 1971, he founded the ‘One-dimension’ Group, a group that was primarily concerned with exploring Arabic calligraphy. Al-Said participated in numerous international biennales, such as the Venice Biennial in 1976, and group exhibitions including the One-dimension Group’s first show at the National Museum of Modern Art, Baghdad, 1971; Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, 1988; and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, 1997. He is the author of numerous books on the philosophy of art. His work is held in private and public collections including Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art,Doha; the Museum of Modern Art, Baghdad; and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman. Shaker Hassan al-Said died in Baghdad in 2004.
