Serwan Baran

Serwan Baran’s work has always been raw and deeply personal, significantly impacted by his surroundings and experiences. Born in Iraq in 1968, Baran has lived through decades of war and violence, his work an elaborate representation of both his personal life and his perspective on the human condition. 

Baran was encouraged to draw and explore art at a very young age and went on to study at the University of Babylon’s Faculty of Fine Arts, graduating first in his class. He became a teacher while continuing to paint with oils, earning himself numerous accolades and prizes. One of his influences has been Iraqi artist Faik Hassan, who was instrumental in the development of contemporary art in the country and is often dubbed the “father of modern Iraqi art”. 

The tumultuous and often violent situation in Iraq has had a profound effect on Baran’s creative process and has driven him to tackle various themes centred on imprisonment, war, the military, and death. Baran himself was first imprisoned as a teenager, then as a soldier when he was conscripted in the Iraqi Army.

Serwan Baran eventually left Iraq and began a long journey to Syria and then to Jordan, where he continued to paint and found great freedom in practising his art with no restrictions. He shares with us both his memories of growing up in a volatile Iraq and the artists who shaped him on his creative journey - Selections Magazine.