Serwan Baran
Serwan Baran, an Iraqi Kurdish artist born in Baghdad in 1968, graduated from the University of Babylon, College of Fine Arts, in 1992. Following his graduation, he taught at Baghdad University’s College of Fine Arts for seven years. In 2000, Baran participated in the Summer Academy at Darat Al Funun in Amman, Jordan, where he benefited from the mentorship of Syrian modernist Marwan Kassab-Bachi. He later became a member of the International Association of Art, the Iraqi Fine Artists’ Association, and the International Network for Contemporary Iraqi Artists.
During his time at the University of Babylon, Baran was deeply inspired by the surrounding environment, located amid the ruins of the ancient city. Immersed in the legacy of one of the world’s richest ancient civilizations, he absorbed the mythology and visual culture of the Babylonians. His fascination with ancient histories led him to Nimrud, an ancient Assyrian city near Mosul, in search of the remains of the legendary Tower of Babel. Though he did not find the tower, he was captivated by an impressive 400-meter-tall mud structure, which became a sacred site for him, inspiring many of his paintings.
After completing his studies, Baran attended classes at the University of Baghdad with Faik Hassan, a well-established and influential artist in the region. Although Baran did not strictly adhere to the techniques dominant in Hassan’s curriculum, he learned a great deal from him, especially about the aesthetic power of reductive forms, free lines, and the expressive language of color. Baran’s exposure to the clay-rich soil and ancient ruins of Iraq is reflected in his preferred color palette, which prominently features earthy browns, reds, and ochres.
In the 1990s, Baran produced works that depicted the diverse popular culture of Iraq, blending realism and expressionism in his paintings. He captured folkloric scenes and daily social happenings, painting Bedouins in colorful attire, rural celebrations, aged workers in old souks, and shepherds in natural landscapes. His works integrated the bitter and the blessed in Iraqi society, exploring the human condition across all social strata. Baran also reflected on political themes, conveying cynical views through strident iconography. Numbers in his paintings symbolized dehumanization, alluding to the reduction of citizens to statistics by careless governments, while distorted portraits of military generals suggested the ethical corruption and hypocrisy of war.
By the late 1990s, Baran shifted his focus to illustrating horses in motion, emphasizing the movement in his gestural brushstrokes and fluid lines. His style evolved from semi-realistic, dense compositions to more playful, expressive elements that ventured into figurative abstraction. He also began experimenting with acrylic paint, attracted to its sensual fluidity.
Since 2003, Baran’s approach has become one of dialogue, juxtaposition, and experimentation. He has moved further into abstraction and explored more vulnerable subject matters, including tension, anxiety, and eroticism. His recent solo exhibitions highlight these developments in both style and content.
Baran currently resides in Beirut.
