Google Doodle celebrates Naziha Salim, one of Iraq's best-known artists

Google Doodle celebrates Naziha Salim's long-standing contributions to art.

Google Doodle on April 23 was an ode to pioneering Iraqi painter Naziha Salim. She is remembered for depicting rural life through her art.

April 23 is significant because it is on this day that Salim’s work was spotlighted in UAE-based Barjeel Art Foundation’s collection of the works of female artists.

Salim was born in Turkey in 1927. Her parents were artists. Her brother, Jawad, is regarded as one of the most prominent sculptors of Iraq.

Surrounded by artist, Salim began creating her own pieces from a young age. She went on to enroll at the Baghdad Fine Arts Institute to study painting.

She earned a distinction in the course and received a scholarship to study at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Art in Paris.

“Salim specialized in fresco and mural painting. After graduation, she spent several more years abroad, immersing herself in art and culture,” read a note accompanying the Google Doodle.

The artist came back to Baghdad to work at the Fine Arts Institute. She taught there till she retired.

Salim founded a community of foreign-educated artists, called Al-Ruwwad. She also wrote a book called Iraq: Contemporary Art, which is an important source of information for the early development of Iraq’s modern art movement.

Today, Salim’s artwork is on display at the Sharjah Art Museum and the Modern Art Iraqi Archive.

“There you can see the magic she created from dripping brushes and brimmed canvases,” Google said. “Today’s Doodle artwork is an ode to Salim's painting style and a celebration of her long-standing contributions to the art world!”