Walid Siti

Walid Siti was born in Duhok, Kurdistan-Iraq, in 1954, and now lives in London.

He graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad in 1976, and from 1977-1982 studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia, for a BA and MA in printmaking. He moved to London in 1984 and has since focused on painting.

He has exhibited extensively in the UK and internationally, in Slovenia, Poland, Russia, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.

His most recent solo shows include "The River Zei", Rose Issa Projects, (2011); “Walid Siti”, Merg Gallery, Erbil, Iraq (2011); “Walid Siti”, Duhok Gallery, Kurdistan-Iraq (2010) and Sardam Gallery, Suleimania, Iraq (2010); “Walid Siti”, XVA Gallery, Dubai (2009); “Land on Fire”, Rose Issa Projects at Leighton House Museum, London (2008); and “Walid Siti”, Salman’s Gallery, Duhok, Kurdistan-Iraq (2004); Arcola Gallery, London (2002); and Oriel Canfas, Cardiff (2001).

Siti exhibited in the Iraq Pavillion at the 54th International Art Biennale, Venice (2011) and the 53rd International Art Exhibition, Venice (2009). He has also participated in numerous group shows worldwide, most recently “Taswir: Pictorial Mappings of Islam and Modernity”, Martin-Gropius-Bau Museum, Berlin (2009); "Babylon: Iraq's Past Speaks to the Present", the British Museum, London (2009); “Re-Orientations: Contemporary Arab Representations”, Rose Issa Projects at the European Parliament, Brussels (2008); “Space Now” at the Triangle Gallery, London (2008) and the 18th Istanbul International Art Fair (2008); "Occupied Space 08, Art for Palestine", Qattan Foundation, London; and the travelling show “Word into Art” (Dubai, 2008 and The British Museum, London, 2006).

His works also featured in group exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Society, London (2004); The National Museum in Kracow, Poland (2003); The Historical Museum of The City of Vienna (2002); and Galerie De Boog, IJsselstein, The Netherlands (2000); the South Bank Centre, London (1991); Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool; and Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales (1991). Before focussing on painting, Siti took part in several prestigious international print biennales, including Bangladesh, St Petersburg and Sharjah (all 2001); Taiwan (1999, 1997); Nurenberg, Germany (1995); Krakow, Poland (1994); Maastricht, Netherland (1993); and Ljubliana, Slovenia (1983). He also exhibited at the XIV Premio Internazionale Biella Per L’incisione, Biella, Italy (1999) and 10th International Exhibition of Graphic Art, Frechen, Germany (1996).

Siti’s work is in the public collections of The British Museum, The Imperial War Museum, and Victoria & Albert Museum in London; The National Gallery of Amman, Jordan; and The World Bank and The Iraq Memory Foundation, both in Washington DC.

PAST EXHIBITIONS:
"THE RIVER ZEI" (2011)
"LAND ON FIRE" (2008)

PublicatIONS:
"LAND ON FIRE" (2008)