Shawn was born in Iraq in 1955. At a young age he already showed a strong desire to learn to paint, but his refusal to join his country’s single party closed the doors of art schools to him. Thus, he proceeded to Italy in 1977, and earned a diploma from the Fine Arts Academy of Perugia in 1982. He immigrated to Edmonton, Canada in 1983, but preferred to settle in Toronto where the artistic community seemed more dynamic.

During his years of study in Italy, he was attracted to several artists, in particular Bori, Tapies and Miro; and later to the American abstract painters of the group Action Painting and Willem de Kooning. ate, he systematically copied the works he admired in order to discover their secrets. He has developed very distinctive approaches in his art and several of his works are part of the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s collection.

Partial List of Exhibitions
2003-2004 Art Expo, New York, USA
Décor Expo, Atlanta, GA
2001 Museum of Civilization, Ottawa, Canada