Maysaloun Faraj is a London-based painter, ceramist, and sculptor with a BSc in Architecture. Born in the USA, she spent her formative years between Los Angeles, where she was born, Washington and New York (1955–1968) before moving to Baghdad in the 1970s, followed by settling in London in 1982, with intermittent periods in Paris, including residencies at the Al-Mansouria Foundation: Cité International des Arts in 2015/17/18.
These diverse cultural experiences profoundly shaped her artistic output. Her work is distinguished by an aesthetic informed by architectural discipline, creating a web of references that bridge East and West, ancient and contemporary, public and deeply personal. Often reflecting on themes of spirituality and the transience of human existence, Faraj employs a visual vocabulary rooted in vibrant colour and basic geometric forms, striving for harmony and order.
Beyond her art, Faraj has played a pivotal role in advancing modern art from the Middle East. She curated the first international showcase of contemporary and modern Iraqi art, which toured the UK and USA from 2000 to 2003. She is also the editor of the seminal publication Strokes of Genius: Contemporary Iraqi Art (Saqi Books, 2001). In 2002 she co-founded Aya Gallery in London with her husband, the renowned architect Ali Mousawi. The gallery operated until 2010 as a critical platform for promoting art from Iraq and the Middle East. In 2008, she served as a judge for the inaugural Arab Art and Culture Award in the UK.
“My art resonates and evolves in a fusion of East and West, tradition and modernity. The story I want to share is my challenge as an artist, a woman, a Muslim and an American-born Iraqi living outside the motherland.”
Her work is held in notable private and public collections worldwide, including Mathaf Modern (Doha Qatar), the British Museum, Rotterdam Wereld Museum, National Museum for Women in the Arts (USA), Jordan National Museum (Amman), Barjeel Art Foundation (UAE), Al-Mansouria Foundation (Paris), Aga Khan Foundation (Canada) and esteemed private collections including Hussain Ali Harba (Turin Italy), Ibrahimi and Ali Husri (Jordan), the late Basil al-Rahim (London), Hamad Abdulla & Nasser al-Khori (Houston & Doha) and important others.
Faraj’s contributions to the art world have established her as a key figure in the global narrative of Middle Eastern modern art. She continues to live and work in London, a city she has called home for over four decades.
Represented by Mark Hachem Gallery | Paris | Beirut | New York @markhachemgallery