By Ashti Garmiyani

The Kurdish painter, AbdulRahman Waheed Gilho was born in 1954 in Duhok province. He's a well-known painter whose works are known by intellectuals and art fans since the 1970s. He's been a good teacher in his field and he's brought up many students. He's had participated in many exhibitions in Duhok, Hawler, Sueimani and Baghdad. His one-man shows have always been living examples of the Kurdish culture and life. AbdulRahman has been very active when it comes to artistic activities and seminars in his beloved Duhok.

The Kurdish painter, AbdulRahman Waheed Gilho was born in 1954 in Duhok province.


He?s a well-known painter whose works are known by intellectuals and art fans since the 1970s.

He?s been a good teacher in his field and he?s brought up many students.

He?s had participated in many exhibitions in Duhok, Hawler, Sueimani and Baghdad. His one-man shows have always been living examples of the Kurdish culture and life.

AbdulRahman has been very active when it comes to artistic activities and seminars in his beloved Duhok.


If we look at Mr. Galho?s works, we understand that learning the basic academic principles of drawing has been his first step in his career.

Then he moved towards a more modern and contemporary artistic style. Waheed Gilho has experimented with different techniques and forms.

The motifs of his works are derived from the Kurdish life, culture, myths, and stories of a people who have suffered a lot.

The Kurds have been resilient and bravely faced those challenges.

They have preserved what they are known for: tolerance, perseverance, their generous attitudes towards others and their belief in humanity.


In the beginning, Abdulrahman learned how to draw realistically, and then he experimented with water colors, acrylic and finally oil colours.

He combines both cold and warm colours like yellow, red, orange, green and blue to portray the Kurdish traditional clothes of which the Kurds are very proud.


The images in Waheed Gilho's works reflect the fact that he has had his share of the catastrophes that happened to the Kurdish people.

His works witness the sufferings and agony of his people. Genocide is associated with the word KURD. This has captured Gilho's fantasy and imagination to paint pictures that mirror that bitter reality.


AbdulRahman is like a living archive showing the identity and good quality of the Kurdish modern art.
First Caption:Second Caption: A portrait of a lady dressed in Kurdish clothes

The Kurdish Globe