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Raed Al-Rawi
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Click here to view original artwork by Raed Al-Rawi
Biography |
Raed Al-Rawi's story started when he came to the US in the summer of 1980 to visit an old Iraqi friend from childhood who lived in Lenior, NC.
A week after his departures from Baghdad the war between Iran and Iraq broke out and travel to Iraq was closed. Days and months passed with fear of returning. A year later he finally decided to stay. He wanted to avoid compulsory military service in the Iraqi army and consequently fight in the war with Iran.
During his time in high school and college he freelanced his cartoons to several major magazines and newspapers in Baghdad. He enjoyed drawing for the children’s magazine (Magalaty). Two others were (Al-Gamhoryha) the Republic newspaper and (Alef-bah) Alphabet magazine, in which he created political cartoons. He was trying hard to be noticed as a new cartoonist with a modern style of cartooning.
In March of 2004, a year after the US invasion, he visited Baghdad after 24 years of separation. His brother Ahmed, who lived in France at the time, traveled with him to Baghdad. They flew from Paris to Amman, Jordan and immediately taxied to Baghdad. It was an 18 hours trip, non stop. He was overwhelmed with emotion at the event saying, "It was [an] indescribable feeling to see my family for the first time with a strange anxiety mixed with fear of coming back to a place after along time. Seeing things had become smaller and older. Hearing the Arabic language as if I’m rediscovering my old vocabularies."
He documented this trip in his sketch book and digital camera. He exhibited these photos in a local gallery in Charlotte, NC and several other local venues. These photos left an unusual and positive impressions on viewers.
Click here to view original artwork by Raed Al-Rawi
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