Ibrahim Rashid (b. 1957) is a multi-disciplinary artist who explores socio-political discourses with a focus on the human body, using symbolic imagery and mythological subtexts. During the 1980s in Baghdad, he worked as an illustrator for national magazines and newspapers, where his drawings served as a critique of the social and political realities of the Time, particularly the impacts of biopower and biopolitics on the human body. During this period, he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad and experienced firsthand the impact of life during war while also having to serve on the front line.
Rashid’s artwork explores intricate states of the human body through his paintings, drawings, and videos. His recent series, titled Big Bang, emerged during the pandemic and reveals phases of bodily destruction through organic textures and mythological objects. The paintings unravel exaggerated icons, symbols, and allegories, erupting and revealing inconsistencies in behaviors and events. At the core, it is an exploration of the body’s fragility in the constant interplay between life and death across bio-political and expansive compositions.
Internationally recognized, Rashid’s work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums throughout the USA, Sweden, Denmark, and the Middle East. His public projects include Looking for Oxygen in Canada and the series Landscape in Process in Santiago Calatrava’s Turning Torso in Malmö, Sweden. These projects showcase his large-scale and expansive paintings that interact with the architecture. Notable venues include the Mori Contemporary Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan, MAI (Montréal, arts intercultural) Gallery in Montréal, Canada, Malmö Museum, Sweden, ASpace Gallery in Toronto, Canada, and Darat Al Funun in Amman, Jordan.
SELECTED SOLO& GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Windows of Light, Lina Ghotmeh—Architecture in collaboration with Zumtobel Group, Dornbirn, Austria
2012 Mori Contemporary Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
“Arab Express”
2014 Gallery Svalunda, Malmö, Sweden.
“In Process”
2011 MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) Gallery, Montréal, Canada
“Looking for Oxygen”
2011 KW|ag 5th Biennial, Kitchener, Canada
“Monochromatic”
2010 ASpace Gallery, Toronto, Canada
“A Moment Before You Close Your Eyes”
2009 Passagen Konsthall, Linköping, Sweden
“Looking for Oxygen”
2008 Södertälje Konsthall, Södertälje, Sweden
“Ground Zero”
2008 Gallery Svalunda, Malmö, Sweden
“In Process”
2008 2 of 2 Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2008 Book Arts Project, The Arthur & Mata Jaffe Center, Texas, USA
“Stroke of Genius”
“Landscape in Process”
2007 Trollhättan Konsthall, Trollhättan, Sweden
“Checkpoint X”
2006 YYZ Artists’ Outlet, Toronto, Canada
“The Fragile Absolute Landscape”
2005 Gallery Svalunda, Malmö, Sweden
“What About My Garden”
2005 Stafanstorps Konsthall, Stafanstorp, Sweden
“Fragile Landscape”
2005 Landskrona Konsthall, Landskrona, Sweden
“Checkpoint X”
2005 Skovhuset Konsthall, Vaerlose, Denmark
“What About My Garden”
2004 Darat al Funun, Amman, Jordan
“Beyond 100°C”
2003 Rådhusets Konsthall, Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
“Beyond 100°C”
2003 Mösting Hus, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Landscape Without Boundary”
2002 Skånes Konstförening, Malmö, Sweden
“Landscape in Process”
2002 Växsjö Konsthall, Växsjö, Sweden
“Beyond 100°C”
2002 Farum Konsthall, Farum, Denmark
“Beyond 100°C”
2002 Vänermuseet, Lidköping, Sweden
“Beyond 100°C”
2002 Valfisken Konsthall, Simrishamn, Sweden
“Beyond 100°C”
2000 Kiruna Art Museum, Kiruna, Sweden
“Beyond Landscape”
1998 Barbacka Konsthall, Kristianstad, Sweden
“Trampled by time, Babylonia Awaits its Resurrection”
1997 Skånes Konstförening, Malmö, Sweden
“Beyond Landscape”
1996 Gallery 2112, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Transformation”
1994 Lilla Konstsalongen, Malmö, Sweden
“Reflections”
1991 Alia Art Gallery, Amman, Jordan
“Untitled”
1991 British Art Council Gallery, Amman, Jordan
“Untitled”
1990 Contemporary Art Center, Baghdad, Iraq
“Untitled”
1987 Baghdad Art Gallery, Baghdad, Iraq
“Spiritual Rituals”
2006 Form Design Centre, Malmö, Sweden
“Design Now”
2005 Book Arts Project, University of North Texas Art Gallery, Texas, USA
“Stroke of Genius”
2004 Arteast, The NewSpace, New York, USA
“Untitled”
2001 Kufa Gallery, London, England
“Stroke of Genius”
2001 Faulconer Gallery, Iowa, USA
“Stroke of Genius”
2001 Hotbath Gallery, Iowa, USA
“Stroke of Genius”
2001 Brunei Gallery, London, England
“Stroke of Genius”
1997 Malmö Art Museum, Malmö, Sweden
“Untitled”
1992 Lund Konsthall, Autumn Salon, Malmö, Sweden
“Untitled”
1991 Lilla Konstsalongen, Malmö, Sweden
“Reflection”
SELECTED PRIZES AND GRANTS
2025 Canada Arts Council ”Arts Abroad /The 19th International Architecture Exhibition
Venice Biennale 2025t”, Canada
2024 Toronto Arts Council ”Creation Grant” , Canada
2012 Ontario Council for The Arts, Canada
2011. IASPIS “The Swedish Arts Grants Committee’s International Programme
for Visual Artists”
2010. Ontario Council for The Arts, Canada
2009 Graduate Entrance Scholarship, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
2007 Canada Council for the Arts
2006-2007 Swedish for the Arts, the Arts Grant Committee, Sweden
2005 The Swedish National Council for Culture Grant
2005 Copenhagen AMT and Skov Art Centre, International Grant, Denmark
2005 Olle Svanlund Art Grant, Sweden
2004 The SwedBank’s Cultures Grant, Sweden
2003 The Arts Grant Committee, Sweden
2000 Kultur Utviklingsmidlerna, Farum, Denmark
1999 Kiruna Art Grants, Kiruna, Sweden
1996 The Arts Grant Committee, Sweden
A1987 ward in Painting, the 5th Wasiti Biennale, Baghdad, Iraq
1985 First Prize of the Iraqi Art Critics, Baghdad, Iraq