Colorful Portraits With Geometric Background, 1994

Sattar Kawoosh, born in Baghdad in 1963, is an Iraqi visual artist renowned for his vibrant and expressive paintings. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Baghdad in 1990. In 2001, Kawoosh relocated to the Netherlands, where he continues to develop his artistic practice.

Kawoosh's work is characterized by a unique blend of Eastern and Western artistic influences, merging the rich narratives of "One Thousand and One Nights" with the decorative elements of Art Nouveau. His paintings often depict intimate moments between men and women, rendered in vivid colors and dynamic compositions. Beyond traditional canvases, he experiments with unconventional formats, including round and oval shapes, as well as three-dimensional pieces like tables and chairs.

Throughout his career, Kawoosh has held over 25 solo exhibitions and participated in approximately 70 group shows across Iraq, Jordan, Italy, the United States, Ukraine, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Notable solo exhibitions include those at Al-Tahrir Gallery in Baghdad (1987), Karas Gallery in Kiev (1996), Van Gogh House in Hoogeveen (2005), and Dar Al-Anda Art Gallery in Amman (2012). His contributions to art have been recognized with several awards, including the third prize at the Modern Iraqi Art Exhibition in Baghdad (1992), the main prize at the same exhibition in 1993, and the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Iraqi Painter in the Netherlands (2011). In 2006, Amnesty International selected his painting "Whispering" for a globally distributed postcard.