This lecture summarizes the sequence of historical events which have lead to the development of Iraqi art from ancient civilization, to the Islamic era, leading to the beginning of the twentieth century with the emergence of Iraqi modern art. Nasiri will focus on the establishment of the Academic Institute of Fine Arts in the forties, and the role the artists, Faeq Hassan, and Jawad Selim played in the development of contemporary trends, and their impact on subsequent generations. The talk will concentrate on the last two decades, which have witnessed the migration of Iraqi artists, particularly the eighties generation, to various parts of the world. After escaping the difficult circumstances experienced in Iraq by wars, siege and occupation, and leaving behind a void in the structure of Iraq’s culture, the central concern in their artistic expression and development remains the perception and notion of the homeland.