Iraqi contemporary painter Samir Sekatri dies at age undisclosed

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi contemporary painter Samir Sekatri has died, the Iraqi Artists Syndicate announced, expressing condolences to his family, relatives and colleagues. The syndicate issued a mourning message confirming the death occurred on Saturday night. Sekatari trained at the Baghdad Institute and Academy of Fine Arts and built a long career in academic and plastic arts, according to the syndicate. He was known for a distinctive visual language that combined Mesopotamian identity with contemporary elements, an approach that shaped younger artists in academic circles. His daughter, director and cinema researcher Sima Samir Sekatri, continues that tradition in film and visual scholarship, the syndicate noted. The artist's death drew wide reaction from Iraq's cultural and arts community, the syndicate added, without disclosing further details about the cause or date of funeral arrangements.