Maisoon Al-Rubeai was born in Baghdad in 1965. She completed a BEng of Architectural Engineering. In UK, she re-trained as a secondary school teacher for Mathematics. It was only after her early retirement that she rediscovered her passion in painting. She went on to produce many pieces that quickly attracted the attention of her friends and family. Before long, this self-taught artist began selling their work on the internet to customers all over the world.
“The depiction of Arab women plays a pivotal part in art. Artists find it easy to carry their message through their depiction of the Arab women” Says Maisoon
Her artwork is rooted in her Iraqi heritage and takes inspiration from famous artists such as Isam Alsaeed. Her abstract pieces evoke images of old Baghdad, the faces of its people all seamlessly intertwined with the Kufic calligraphy that envelopes the walls of so many mosques and palaces of that region. There are hints of nostalgia in her pieces, borne out with modernist brushwork, creating a special appeal for those who yearn for the land between the two rivers.
From an Architect to an International Artist, she paints Iraqi women specifically and Arab women in general. The artist uses traditional and cultural references which add a rural touch and she also paints women in an urban environment. Ultimately, Maisoon reflects themes such as nostalgia, care, family, homeland, passion and love in her paintings.