Art, culture, and heritage are rich with great and creative personalities, and there is no field in which a Kurdish artist has not reached the summit. Among such examples is Qarni Jamil.
This artist was commemorated by the Ministry of Culture and Youth last week, in a heartfelt ceremony honoring his contributions as both a teacher and a visionary sculptor.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Aryan Salahadin, Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth of the Kurdistan Regional Government, alongside family members, relatives, artists, and intellectuals from Erbil, to mark the passing of the late artist Qarni Jamil.
During the event, the Deputy Minister gave a speech reflecting on the service and artistic legacy of the late sculptor, emphasizing the importance of giving greater attention to the artists and intellectuals of Kurdistan.
The artistic legacy of Qarni Jamil
Artist Qarni Jamil was one of the most prominent and distinguished figures in the history of Kurdish sculpture. Through his creations and enduring works, he elevated Kurdish sculpture to a pinnacle of creativity and cultural legacy.
• Qarni Jamil Hassan was born in 1954 in the city of Erbil, where he completed his primary and secondary education.
• In 1976–1977, he completed his studies at the Fine Arts Institute, Sculpture Department in Baghdad. After graduation in 1977–1978, he began working as a primary school teacher in the village of Rusti. However, after the village was evacuated by the Ba’ath government, he was transferred in 1978–1979 to a primary school in the village of Nawroyin in Diana town.
• Qarni Jamil left Kurdistan in 1979 and moved to Italy, where he remained until 1984, continuing his work as a sculptor and living through his art.
• In 1984, he moved from Italy to Spain, where he pursued his artistic career until 2003. That year, he returned to the Kurdistan Region, took on the role of editor for a sculpture magazine, and became a teacher in the Sculpture Department at the Fine Arts Institute in Erbil.
• Qarni Jamil did not adhere to any particular artistic school. In his own words, his paintings emerged from imagination and fantasy—whatever came to mind, he painted and turned into artistic works. Many of his students and mentees became accomplished artists, inspired by his creativity and eager to continue in his path.
His private exhibitions:
• 1976 – Baghdad, Kurdish Cultural Association Hall (with artist Jamal Ibrahim)
• 1977 – Erbil, Media School Hall
• 1984 – Barcelona, Spain, Prat de Lujanes Hall
• 1987 – Granada, Spain, Caja Rural Hall
• 1989 – Granada, Spain, Volter Café
• 1990 – Valencia, Spain, Alhanas Hall
• 2007 – Erbil, Media Hall
• 2008 – Sulaymaniyah, Sardam Gallery
• 2013 – Media Hall, Erbil
• 2018 – Media Hall, Erbil
• 2019 – Still Life Exhibition, Media Hall
• 2021 – Esta Gallery, Sulaymaniyah
His group exhibitions:
From 1972 until now, Qarni Jamil participated in numerous group exhibitions in Iraq, Italy, Spain, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, and Poland.
The renowned Kurdish sculptor Qarni Jamil Hassan passed away on June 3, 2025, at the age of 71.