Rabel Betshmuel was born in Iraq in 1981. When religious and political persecution forced his family to escape in 1986, they came to Chicago by way of Iran, Syria, and Greece—a journey across continents and diverse cultures that has fired his creativity ever since.

Rabel’s deep love for his Assyrian heritage provides the foundation for his artistic curiosity and expression. The reality of Assyrian existence—suffused as it has been with pain making way for celebration, and suffering ultimately inspiring achievement—provides the lens through which he creates his work. He seeks a universal language with which his culture can speak, transcending the narrow boundaries often associated with nationalistic art.

His work draws on a cultural history that does not have a prominent place in art history or contemporary art. Inspired to elevate Assyrian art, developing something fresh from the fertile ground of millennia, Rabel utilizes reverse assimilation to infuse ordinary modern objects with ancient Assyrian motifs. He works across a range of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, digital creation and assemblage. Experimentation is at the heart of his creative process, having taught him the value of embracing mistakes and welcoming unexpected outcomes.

By creating Assyrian art in a modern image, Rabel introduces it to an audience that often only has a rudimentary knowledge of it. His objective is to extend Assyrian culture’s frontiers while placing it on the same level as other living, ancient cultures: those of Native Americans, Aztecs, Mayans, Incas and so on.

Rabel’s life in Chicago is inspired by a continuing sense of discovery and a search for newness and renewal within his heritage. As a result, his art modernizes Assyrian culture while holding on to its ancient charm, but its power.

EXHIBITIONS

• Diaspora In Bloom, Akitu: The Oldest Party in the World, Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA., March 2023

• So Close and Yet So Far (Si proche et pourtant si lointain) Art Exhibition, The French Institute in Erbil, IQ.,
  January 2021

• Diaspora In Bloom, Transcending Borders Through Assyrian Art, Virtual, August 2020

• Diaspora In Bloom, Assyrians in the 21st Century and Beyond, Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA., June 2019
• Ceramics Department Studio Exhibition, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL., February 2017
• Art in Response to Violence, Northeastern University, Chicago, IL., October 2016

PRESS

• So Close and Yet So Far (Si proche et pourtant si lointain) Art Exhibition, Radio Al-Salam, January 2021 | Download Interview
• A Diaspora in Bloom: Virtual exhibition shines a light on contemporary Assyrian art and identity, The New Arab, October 2020 | Download PDF
• Assyrian diaspora blooms in virtual art exhibit, The Assyrian Journal, August 2020 | Download PDF
• San Jose art show celebrating Assyrian-American experiences fuses an ancient history with contemporary life,  
  Mercury News, June 2019 | Download PDF
• Assyrian Podcast Interview, November 2018 | Listen
• Art Through Assyrian Eyes: Rabel Betshmuel, Iraqi Christian Relief Council, January 2017 | Download PDF
• Interview with Chicago Artist Rabel Betshmuel, Orhay – Association for Literature and Art, February 2017
  | Arabic Version Download PDF

 Download Electronic Press Kit

EDUCATION

• Oakton Community College
  Independent Student, Ceramics
  2019 – Current
• Evanston Art Center
  Independent Student, Ceramics
  2017
• City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College
  Independent Student, Ceramics
  2011 – 2016
• Loyola University Chicago
  Bachelors, VisComm and Fine Arts
  2001 – 2003
• Oakton Community College
  Associate Degree, General Studies
  1999 – 2001