Blue and White Abstract Geometric Composition, 1993

Saadi Abbas Babely (1953–2017) was an Iraqi painter renowned for his contributions to contemporary art. Born in Babil, Iraq, he completed his primary and secondary education between 1960 and 1970. He pursued higher education at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Baghdad, earning his bachelor's degree in 1976. Furthering his studies, he obtained a master's degree in contemporary painting from the University of Hartford in the United States in 1984, followed by a doctorate in fine arts.

Babely's artistic journey was marked by numerous exhibitions and accolades. He participated in the Nisan exhibitions at the Iraqi National Museum of Modern Art in Baghdad during the mid to late 1970s. In 1979, he held a solo exhibition at the same venue and won first prize for designing the International Women's Day poster in Baghdad. His work was also showcased internationally, including at the Cagnes-sur-Mer International Festival in France in 1984 and the Baghdad International Festival of Art in 1986. In 1984, he received first prize in painting at the fourth Al-Wasiti Festival.

Beyond his artistic endeavors, Babely was dedicated to academia. He served as a professor of fine arts at the University of Baghdad from 1984 to 1998 and later taught at the University of Hartford between 2001 and 2003. His commitment to education continued with his appointment as a professor of arts and design at the Higher Institute of Arts and Handicrafts in Selina, Tunisia, from 2006 to 2009. In his later years, he led the fine arts department at the University of Duhok from 2011 to 2012. Babely passed away in 2017 in Duhok, Iraq, leaving behind a legacy that significantly influenced Iraqi contemporary art.