Experience ArtbyDiyar

My Story

Hello, I'm Diyar Al Asadi and I have lived in the US for 5 years. I am a young artist originally from Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.

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There, I spent the first ten years of my life. I first started painting when I was seven years old and at the time, I painted without any knowledge of how to paint. I taught myself how to use oil paints with the help of some local artists and I finished about twenty paintings in three years. When I was ten years old, I opened my first show at my school’s art department and all my paintings were sold to famous Iraqi artists.

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From there, I received an art scholarship to study in Egypt but due to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, by 2005, I was not able to take advantage it. My family and I finally left for Egypt after two attempts on our lives by anonymous militants due to sectarian and political reasons. I focused my anger and energy to my paintings. Whenever I sold a piece, I took that money to improve my abilities as an artist In Egypt, I studied with Russian professor and artist, Eleni Alexander and Saudi professor and artist, Elham Jean. I also worked for the TownHouse gallery in Cairo for two years until I was sixteen.

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Then, we left Egypt to return to Iraq for a few weeks but militants tried killing us again so we left for Jordan in 2009.

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In Jordan, I went to high school in the mornings and in the afternoons, I studied at a high school and art school for two years with Iranian teacher Fatima Pour Hatami and I received a diploma in the Department of Islamic Art under her tutelage. 

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From there I had ten different art shows. I also had a project with a calligrapher to King Abdullah of Jordan and received a bronze medal for my participation.

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Starting in 2010, I worked as a fine art and Islamic art teacher at the Institute of Zein el Sharaf in Amman, Jordan for two years.

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In May 2012, I moved to the US to start a new life in New York City. From here I shared my artwork with my high school art shows and I received a scholarship in Student Art League of NY for one year. I have recently moved to Seattle, where I now currently reside.

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After all the places I went I'm still in my place of fame.. still unknown, I always wished to be a successful artist to help out my family and other people who had been prevented from living a normal life.

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Exhibiton :

No War 2003(Iraq) , Dot Of Ink 2005(Egypt), Stories 2006(Egypt), Dot Of Ink2 2006(Egypt), townhouse gallery art shows 2007-2009(Egypt), Iraq on paper 2009(Iraq), decoration art 2010(Jordan), The Yearly Islamic Art Show For The Decoration 2011-2012(Algeria),The Center For Victims Of Torture 2011-2012(Jordan) White Bird 2012(Marco), living Gallery 2013(Brooklyn), Seeds of the League Program- EMOA Space Gallery 2013(Manhattan), Timber Of Iraq 2013(Boston), Khaled Gallery 2015(California),

Box House 2017(seattle), 

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 Magazines:

Iraqi magazine online 2007, The Flower Of The Golf( zahrat al-khalej magazine ) 2008, BBC London online 2008, Iraqi magazine online 2009, Arabs Today 2010, International Women Day Jordan by(UNHCR) 2012.

I also had a project with a calligrapher to King Abdullah of Jordan and received a bronze model for participation. 

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Website: artbydiyar.com
FB page: Art By Diyar 
Instagram: idealart

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Diyar was also featured on an Anti-Violence PSA by Borderline Pictures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6dxcGm3CgU

Preview of "Between Earth and Sky", featuring Diyar. Film by Kalyanee Mam and David Mendez: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcsEWWpq_OM

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