Wasma`a Chorbachi

Born Cairo, Egypt, of Iraqi parents, 1944

Chorbachi received a BA in Fine Arts and philosophy from the Beirut College for Women, Lebanon, 1966, an MA in studio painting and Renaissance art from Pius XII Institute in Florence, 1967; and a PhD in the history of Islamic art – which focused on the link between science and the art of design in Islamic architectural design – from Harvard University, 1989. She has worked with various media, eventually turning to ceramics – an art she first discovered as a child using clay from the banks of the Tigris. Her work includes dishes and mural tiles, many decorated with calligraphy and abstract motifs reflecting her knowledge of and interest in traditional techniques and designs. Chorbachi is an artist-in-residence at the ceramics programme, Harvard University, where she teaches architectural ceramics.