Children Playing (ed. 3/3)

In 1959, during his final year at Baghdad’s Institute of Fine Arts, Rafa Al Nasiri was drawn to the traditional Chinese art techniques. East Asian ideas on philosophy, nature, and spirituality influenced him, leading Al Nasiri to study printmaking at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China from 1959 to 1963.

Ancient techniques, such as woodcut printing, appear in his later works, including this one. The artwork shows two young boys playing a board game. They wear a Dishdasha, a long traditional Iraqi garment, and a Taqiyah, a cap worn on the head. In the background, the artist includes windows inspired by local heritage, demonstrating how he combined new artistic methods with scenes from everyday life and close social moments.