2018 International Art Competition, 3rd Place

“This piece represents the hope, belief, love, power, and faith that our Assyrian nation has in the future children. Through all the hardships that we went through we still look forward to renewing our strength. The cloud represents hardship, the sunshine represents hope, and the wheat represents growth.”

Born in Mosul, Iraq, Maher Minyanish is an Assyrian artist working in the Chicago area. He resettled in the United States in 2009. Though he left his homeland behind due to war, he carried his love and passion for his heritage with him. Minyanish feels obligated to create pieces that represent Assyrian history and heritage—a common theme in much of his work. A self-taught artist, Minyanish discovered his passion for art as a child and draws inspiration from the changing world around him. He is inspired by human experiences and stories, and is known for his portrait work.