Mun'im Furat

He died on 7 August 1972, in a car accident. Shortly after his death, ten of his sculptures were exhibited at the International Fair: Triennale of Primitive Art, (10 September – 10 October 1972), in Bratislava, where he received a Special Honorary Award and a Diploma in recognition of his Art Work.

In 1970, he exhibited in Rome, and received extensive media coverage in Italian newspapers. Alberto Ciattini, a noted Italian art critic, commented:

After the 1958 Revolution, he was "discovered" by Dr Akram Fadhel of the Ministry of Information, who gave him a space where he could work and helped him gain permanent employment at the Ministry of Culture. Mun'im continued working on his sculptures until he reached the retirement age.

Mun'im Furat (1900-1972) (occasionally given as Monem Furat) was an Iraqi primitive artist, noted for his sculptures resembling Sumerian statuary. His style was very distinctive and he was the only Iraqi artist to produce works in the naive style.

Mun'im Furat was born in Baghdad in 1900 into the Al Jubur tribe. He left school at a very young age, but managed to learn how to read and write and was able to recite the Quran. His real name was Na'im Barbout Wadi, but he chose the alias Mun'im Furat. As a young man, he worked as a shepherd, butcher and labourer in order to support his family. By chance, he visited the Iraq Museum and after seeing Sumerian sculptures, he decided to become a sculptor.