Faraj ABBO

artists

  • November 21, 1924 Artist Faraj Abbo was born in the province of Mosul in Iraq to a Chaldean Christian family.
  • 1936 He painted and sculpted some works in some of Mosul old churches, such as St. Isaiah Church.
  • 1939 He finished his studies at the Central High School in Baghdad.
  • 1941 He joined the Friends of Art Association.
  • In the beginning of the forties until the year 1945 he studied the art of painting in Baquba in Hilla High School.
  • 1947 He was sent on a fellowship to Egypt to study. In 1950 he completed his studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts in the Painting Department in Cairo, graduated from it, and participated in the Ibn Sina Festival exhibition at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad.
  • 1950 - 1952 He worked as a drawing art teacher at Al-Adhamiya High School
  • 1952 He was dispatched to Italy to complete his studies, and in 1954 he completed his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and received a honor degree and returned to Baghdad.
  • 1952 He joined the Baghdad Modern Art Group and participated in the Group's third exhibition.
  • 1953 He was appointed as a teacher at the Institute of Fine Arts, and then a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, and he continued his profession of teaching fine arts and drawing until his retirement.
  • 1955 He participated in the Iraqi exhibition in India.
  • 1956 He participated in a joint exhibition with Iraqi artists.
  • 1957 He participated in the Iraqi contemporary art exhibition in Baghdad.
  • 1959 He traveled to Azerbaijan and drew in its capital, Baku, its most important port on the Caspian Sea. Then, he traveled to Ukraine and drew in its capital, Kiev, a number of their historical and cultural monuments.
  • 1960 He married a woman of Armenian origin, whose name was Shakya Mofsissian. They had three children (including Firas and Shatha).
  • 1963 He held his fifth solo exhibition at Orosdiback’s hall.
  • 1972 He participated in the Iraqi contemporary art exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art in Baghdad.
  • 1973 He participated in the fifteenth exhibition of the Fine Artists Association at their hall in Baghdad.
  • 1982 He participated in the second Al-Wasiti festival in Baghdad.
  • He established his own studio in his new home in the New Baghdad area and collected many of his remaining works that he kept. He maintained his photos and archive collecting and documenting his artistic career.
  • 1984 The artist passed away after suffering from a terminal illness at the age of sixty-three years.
  • He was a member of the Iraqi Artists Association.