Artist Biography

Faris Alsaffar was born in Baghdad in 1964. He grew up on a multinational corporation’s oil processing plant outside Karkuk. After university in Baghdad, Faris was drafted to serve in Saddam’s military as a civil engineer.

Faris escaped his military unit upon the commencement of the Iraqi invasion into Kuwait, and returned to take care of his family in Baghdad. In danger of being apprehended by Saddam’s forces, he managed to successfully evade capture and cross the country border into the custody of the United States military. Faris was transferred with other evacuees and former Iraqi soldiers to a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia where he taught himself English.

In 1992, the American government rescued him from the camp and granted him political asylum in San Diego, California.

Faris began drawing at an early age. In Iraq, the University of Technology (Baghdad) sponsored 5 private exhibitions of his work, engaging with social and philosophical questions. In 1986, the university selected Faris as its artist representative at the prestigious Arab Gulf Universities Festival.

Since moving to America, Faris has worked as an animator and painter. He was a Special Effects Artist at Walt Disney, and contributed to 3 features films:' The Hunchback of Notre Dame", "Hercules", and "The Legend of Mulan". He has also taught art for the City of Glendale Parks and Recreation, and produced web animation for Screen and Friends.

Faris studied animation at the cartoonist union and Rowland animation school. He also trained in Design at the Art Center, Production Design at UCLA, multimedia graphics at the Multimedia Center in Encino, and studied illustration at the David Passalaqua School in New York.

The last few years, Faris focused on personal art projects, painting [Olvera Street] and illustrating Iraqi folk tales. Currently, Faris is teaching art at a school in Oakwood and working on a graphic novel of experiences and stories from Iraq.