(1919 – 1961)

Saleem was an Iraqi sculptor born in Ankara (Turkey) in 1920. He studied sculpture in Paris (1938-1939), Rome (1939-1940) and London (1946-1949). After he returned to Iraq, he was appointed head of the Sculpture Department at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad, a position he retained until his death in 1961.

He founded the Group of Baghdad for Modern Art, as well as the new Baghdad School of Modern Art. He is especially known for his Liberty Monument, located in one of Baghdad's main squares. In this monument, the artist celebrated the Iraqi people and the 1958 Revolution. He was a founding member of the Iraqi Artists Society.