Erbil honors late painter Karani Jamil with memorial ceremony

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Culture held a memorial ceremony Wednesday in Erbil to honor the late Kurdish painter Karani Jamil, one of the region’s most influential contemporary artists. Friends, family, and cultural figures gathered to pay tribute with poetry readings and melancholic songs celebrating his artistic legacy.

Jamil died in early June in Erbil at age 70 following complications related to cancer.

“We want Karani Jamil’s artistic path to be preserved so students, artists, and others who wish to follow it can benefit,” said Ariyan Salahaddin, a Ministry of Culture official. “We plan to establish a major gallery, and Karani will become one of its icons, with a section named in his honor.”

Writer Bahoz Mustafa emphasized the broader cultural importance of such recognition. “Intellectualism should be spread among people—through art, books, or painting—so that our culture becomes rich,” he said. “We hope such respect extends to other writers and intellectuals. More attention should be given to their messages so they can reach the public.”

Born in 1954 in Erbil, Jamil completed his early education locally and graduated from Baghdad’s Institute of Fine Arts in 1977 with a diploma in painting. His work helped define the visual language of contemporary Kurdish art.