Sadiq Kareem Toma

Painter and Printmaker

Silhouette of a man and woman wearing masks, embracing each other in a dark, textured background with vertical white lines and some abstract patterns.

Sadiq Kareem Toma (b. 1952) studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad. He went into exile in 1978, moving to London to continue his design and illustration work. He uses printmaking, painting and calligraphic traditions in his artwork. 

These woodblock prints, comprising a series from 1991 with recent reprints and expansions, draw on Sumerian imagery and ancient Iraqi poetry to explore alienation. The bold, expressive linework conveys mythological imagery from his memories of Iraq (palm trees, boats, fish, hand fans), positioned in conflict to create a sense of anxiety or loss. His laser-cut etchings from 2025 urgently communicate the horror and tragedy of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Selected Solo and Group Exhibitions:

2024 Poem in a Painting, MP Bhavan Gallery, London (solo)
2017 Cravantaise Gallery, France (group)
2014 Le Bois Grave, 4e Biennale Graphic, France (group)
2013 Sophia Art Gallery, London (solo)
2010 Artspace Gallery, London (solo)
2007 Jersey Gallery, Osterley Park, London (solo)
2005 Kufa Gallery, London (solo)
2004 Reflection of War, Charnwood Museum (group)
2003 Black Rain, War Reflection, Sheffield (group)
2002 Kuzama Centre Gallery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (solo)
2002 Jeddah Gallery, Saudi Arabia (solo)
2000 Kufa Gallery, London (solo)
1996 Cultural Foundation, Sharjah, UAE (solo)
1996 Cultural Foundation, Abu-Dhabi, UAE (solo)
1995 Argile Gallery, London (solo)
1994 Huset Gallery, Denmark (solo)
1991 Kufa Gallery, London (solo)
1991 Al-Rafedain Club Gallery, Berlin (solo)
1991 Goya Gallery, Berlin (solo)

Artwork illustrating a landscape with trees in the background and an abstract creature with an open mouth filled with sharp teeth in the foreground.
An illustration of a smiling child holding a large slice of watermelon.
A black and white woodcut print depicting two women standing close together, with one whispering into the other's ear. They are wearing dark dresses, and their faces have simple, outlined features with large glasses. The background features abstract,
A black and white illustration of a woman lying under a large leafy tree, holding a palette and brush, with a bird in the branches and a dog nearby, surrounded by various objects.
A black and yellow artwork depicting a woman lying on a bed, with her head turned to the side and her hair cascading down the bed. A man is leaning over her, with his face close to hers, both with surprised or shocked expressions. The background show
A stylized artwork of a woman with glasses and a ponytail, reaching towards a crescent moon in a starry night sky. There is a house and a tree in the background.