Samaa al Ameer(12 August 2003 - 16 December 2020)

- Samaa AL Ameer is painter and Activist who has represented Iraq in international art competitions and events, born in Baghdad, August 12, 2003. During very hard conditions in Iraq that time which effect on Samaa’s mother when she was pregnant.

- Samaa is a girl with a disability, spreads hope everywhere, by challenging her chronic illness and turning it into a story of success. She was born in a complicated medical condition that prevented her from walking and sitting that imposed her staying home, but Samaa, her personal formation and her intelligence, with the encouragement of her mother – Iraqi well-known journalist and writer Asmaa Mohammed Mustafa, challenged her conditions and challenges all, and introduce Samaa to lives with her difficulties but to inspire others. Samaa , with using her imagination comes symbol of inspiration, has remarkable talents in painting that help her to re-structure herself with art pieces that reflect her colorful imagination. Samaa recycle materials to make art pieces from them, she says : (I will re-structure myself) meaning that she will work to be active person to become an influential girl and a symbol of hope and willness.  As  Samaa was not accepted in the school dedicated for disabilities because of her critical and complicated  health condition, her  mother had accepted the challenge to be Samaa’s personal mentor to learn and educate her, providing training at home by dedicating all her times to her daughter and pursued her dreams. Samaa first drawing was when she aged 3 years old, and in her early childhood,her mother taught her to use the computer,and Samaa learned herself to draw with a computer after she saw an icon on the computer screen that caught her attention. It was a drawing program. Samaa brought attention of all around, and media called her (Hope Maker).

-Samaa is Inspiring Founder of the volunteering network called  (Life just like a palette to support positive thinking, energies and talents) that she runs with her mother, and Samaa  is the director of positive thinking campaigns in the network . Samaa and her mother carried out many cultural and awareness activities that benefited children and youth by supporting them morally by publishing their products and involving them in awareness campaigns. With special attention to people with disabilities and those with difficult social and psychological conditions.

-Samaa is the youngest Arab artist to paint “Postmodernism” style, as she began with this style at the age of 14 years

.- Samaa has written and published on the international platform (Voices of Youth) affiliated to UNICEF, through which she delivers her voice, voices and issues of Iraqi youth to the world in both Arabic and English.

- The French newspaper (LE TEMPS) published an article about Samaa and her painting (Love  is an Anti-Virus), and her exhibition (Together We Face Corona), in which it supported children and youth. The newspaper stated that Samaa, according to UNESCO and UNICEF monitoring, is one of the faces of the world's youth in times of the pandemic / December 30, 2020.

 -The Spanish educational website (Aulas Multicolores) published about her and her exhibition (Together We Face Corona) and her (Love is an Anti-Virus).

Awards, honors and accolades 

-Winner of  the  Honorable Mention Award in the international contest (postcard art) held by (ShinHan Art) Foundation in South Korea 2020, for her art-work (Conscious love is an anti-virus).

  -Winner of the Inspiring Hands Award in a contest organized by the international art platform dedicated to youth and children (Champs Work), which is run from India, for a painting entitled (Waiting for the butterfly to leave the cocoon / August 2020.

- Winner of  International Golden Honor Award and the Special Award (TOP 18 SPECIAL ViRTUAL AWARD) in the Charumela School of Art Global Competition / Bangladesh / October 2020.

- Winner of the Leader Mujib Shotoborshaw Award, founder of the state of Bangladesh / (Top 100 - first winner) and awarded her with a certificate of achievement and two medals, the Charumela School of Art /December 23, 2020.

- Winner of the (Diwali Festival of Lights) competition held by the TinyDistrict Indian International Platform / December 17, 2020.

-Winner of  the  Honorable Mention Award in the international contest (postcard art) held by (ShinHan Art) Foundation in South Korea 2019, among more thirty thousand participants and contest from 60 countries , for her art-work (Fly with the colors, the world shines with color as so) . A video of her was shown during the contest's award ceremony.

-Winner of the drawing competition held by the Australian Embassy in Baghdad 2019.

 - Winner of the competition (featured weekly painting) for the month of July 2020, held by the painting room of  Iraqi National Library and Archives Office.

 -Winner of the certificate of excellence from the international Organization (Impact Investment Exchange - IIX) due to the selection of her artwork (a woman who spreads happiness in the present and the future) among more than 300 artworks for talents belonging to 22 countries within the distinguished artworks in the global competition (She is more),and was shown Digitally screened on Screen at the competition festival for celebrating the value of women through art, which was held by the aforementioned institution in Singapore / May 2019, as well as publishing the painting in the festival brochure.

 -late of  2019, the International Foundation (IIX) chose the story of painting Samaa AL Ameer (a woman who spreads happiness in the present and the future) that inspired by her personal experience within the list of five real stories of courage (Courage Stories of), and dedicated a page on its website under the title (Stories from SHE IS MORE Youth) for the stories of courage that are inspired by the inspiring artwork and participate in their titled competition (SHE IS MORE), including the story of the Samaa painting.

 -Samaa received a certificate of appreciation from Al-Kauthar Educational Association in the United Kingdom, for her role as an honorary member of the jury of the international competition held by the association under the title (Color for Hope) / 2020.

 -Samaa honored by a certificate of appreciation from the International Thalassemia Society in the United Kingdom, for her participation in the global awareness campaign to raise attention and encourage others for blood donations  for Thalassemia patients, represented by participating in Two paintings / 2020.

-Samaa honored by  the Excellence Award and a certificate of  honor from the Arab Creators Association during the first international festival for creative people with disabilities and people with special needs, which was held in cooperation with the (Artists Without Borders) online from 17 to 23 August 2020.

 -Samaa received a certificate of appreciation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, for her participation in World Food Day 2019 posters event.

 - UNESCO published an article about Samaa, its experience and exhibition (Together We Face Corona) on its official website and pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, on the occasion of International Youth Day, and the posts received thousands of likes and comments from around the world / August 2020.

 -The global platform (Story for Development) has dedicated a page to Samaa's story, her biography, and her achievements. The platform is in English and French and affiliated to UNESCO in cooperation with the Japanese Nippon Foundation.

 - Mattel Consumer Services/Inspiring the Wonder of Play (the global manufacturer of the doll Barbie), addressed her in a message, this the quotes form that message “It is an honor for us to read about your art and to see some examples of it, such as those that appear in the background of your image. You have an amazing way in using your technical capabilities to raise awareness about the needs of people with disability, your efforts and ambition are a source of inspiration for all of us here in Mattel, and you are inspiring for other girls anywhere in the world. Keep your big dreams, and always remember that there is no limit to anything you accomplish”

 -The National Library and Archives Office of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture allocated an honor roll for Samaa AL Ameer paintings and artworks in the library of the generations of the National Library, under the title: (Honor roll for the maker of hope, Samaa AL Ameer) , and the National Library and Archives Office gave to Samaa a special certificate of appreciation under the title (Maker of Hope), in honor of  her and her voluntary educational and artistic activity in The Library, and  the National Library also presented several certificates of appreciation to the Samaa for her art exhibitions that bear the idea of challenging painful reality and making hope, and as the first child to hold an exhibition through the painting room of National Library and Archives Office.

 -Samaa received a certificate of appreciation from the Iraqi  Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, for her artistic role and spreading a spirit of hope in others, as a result of a session honoring her in the Ministry under the supervision of the Women Empowerment Committee under the title: Samaa Asmaa .. Making Hope Out from the Deepest Pain.

 - Chosen by the international art platform dedicated to youth and children (Champs Work) in the list of (Trending Artists) / 2020.

 -The international art platform(Champs Work) selected a number of Samaa’s  paintings in the list of (Featured Works) / 2020.

 -The London newspaper, "Morning Star", published an interview with Samaa AL Ameer about her campaign in the culture of love, tolerance, coexistence, peace and titled "Love is the best medicine for my country, Iraq" / February 2020.

 -The British magazine (Thalassae Matters) published an article about Samaa and her participation in the international blood donation campaign organized by the Thalassemia Society in the United Kingdom / 2020.

 - An Iraqi audience chose her, Miss Iraq 2017, in recognition of her ability to positively, challenge her condition and the success of her exhibition at the time. An article entitled (Samaa AL Ameer, Miss Iraq) was published about her in the press and websites.

Exhibitions

-Samaa has held 11 exhibitions (8 of them are personal exhibitions of  Samaa) during the years from 2016 to 2020, including eight personal exhibitions in each of the  Iraqi National Library and Archives Office and the Children Culture House and the Iraqi Journalists  Syndicate  and a festival held by the Ministers Council of Iraq , those are :

 -Electronic group exhibition (Together we face Corona) / supervised by Samaa / May 2020.

 -The permanent exhibition in the Library of generations, affiliated to the National Library and Archives Office of the Iraqi Ministry, under the title: The roll of Honor, Maker of Hope Samaa AL Ameer , from 2019 until today.

-A group exhibition under the supervision of Samaa (I Read - Friends of the Library and Painting room), Iraqi National Library and Archives Office, October 2020

-Positive Thinking  exhibition (Clean Your City, Cleanliness is a Culture), at generations library, 2019.

-A beautiful life, at the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, February 7, 2019

- A life colored by love (two groups): The first group at the invitation of the Children Culture House at the extra-curricular activities festival held by the Council of Ministers in Al-Zawra Park, October 11, 2018, and the second group in the Library of Generations / National Library and Archives Office ,December 26, 2018.

-I re-structuring myself (two groups): the first group in the National Library and Archives Office, February 7, 2018, and the second group in the Children Culture House was shown twice: March 19 and April 18, 2018.

- Aesthetic windows of my dream world :  in the National Library and Archives Office, May 24, 2017.

- The World  of  My Dreams challenges the Pain of Reality: In the National Library and Archives Office, October 2016.

- Samaa participated in an exhibition held by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of grief over the martyrs of the Mosul ferry 2019, and the exhibition of generations Library in the National Library and Archives Office for the occasion of Army and Police Feasts, 2019.

Participations in international exhibitions:

- Digital display of Samaa’s painting at the International Exhibition of Impact Investment Exchange - IIX in Singapore / May 2019.

-Samaa participated in the International virtual children's art exhibition held by Charumela Art School in Bangladesh / 2020.

- A number of her paintings were selected for display at the International Art Exhibition (TOP 100 Talented KIDS In The World) as part of the activities of the largest international art competition for children and youth held by Churmela Art School in Bangladesh 2020.

- Samaa participated in the International Electronic Exhibition (We are one world facing Corona / For Churmela School Art), which was held by (LIFE JUST LIKE A PALETTE) Network/2020.

-Samaa is now preparing to hold an international exhibition on encouraging blood donation. 

The activities

-Samaa is (Honorary Member) of the jury of the international competition (A Colour for Hope) held by Al-Kauthar Association, in the United Kingdom.

-Samaa participated in the international campaign for UNESCO on how to invest the youth in the period of domestic stone positively under the title (My story with Covid 19).

- Samaa participated in the International Campaign for World Children's Day 2020, organized by UNICEF's Voices of Youth Platform.

- Samaa participated In the international campaign to encourage blood donation for Thalassemia patients, organized by the British Thalassemia Society 2020.

-Samaa has launched campaigns for positive thinking and conducted workshops on that : the culture of love, coexistence, tolerance and peace: love is the best medicine for Iraq, love is the best medicine for the body and the soul, I read - friends of the library, the hygiene culture (clean your city), and youth and children interact with it, and as a result the establishment of Positive thinking exhibitiones.

- Samaa , through her network (Life just like a palette), is supervising a joint event with the the National Library and Archives Office  painting room, named the (Talent of the Month exhibition), to encourage talents.

-Samaa has participated in healthy educational courses to raise awareness of ways to prevent corona virus, organized by the World Health Organization and the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences and the awareness (Iidrak) platform, as well as educational courses specializing in emotional intelligence and leadership, and she got participation certificates on that and obtained the title of ambassador of community immunity after her participation On the Mohammed bin Rashid University course.

-Samaa participated in the first international festival for creative people with disabilities and people with special needs, which was held by the Arab Creators Association in cooperation with the (Artists Without Borders) online from 17 to 23 August 2020.

- Samaa has a collection writings under humanity feelings. She also designs accessories and handicrafts.

-Samaa loves to serve her country and humanity and help others and hopes that peace and love will prevail in the world.

-Samaa's important aim is to have a new generation can build my country,Iraq, with art and positive thinking.

Samaa in the media

- The media has highlighted her experience, her art, through news reports, newspaper articles, and many dialogues on satellite channels, newspapers, and websites. Including the Iraqi critic's website allocating a file in episodes on the experience of the Samaa A AL Ameer and her mother, titled "Hope through Creativity (A Biography full of Giving)", it says in the introduction to the file: "This simple file presented by the family of the" Iraqi critic "greeting the child artist" Samaa AL Ameer "  and for Her mother is a writer and journalist, “Asmaa Mohamed Mostafa” for “Samaa” because she has proven that in art there is a second life more truly for people with disabilities than the dull lives of many healthy people, and for her mother “Asmaa” the struggle that struck the living model of the human intellectual and the creative motherhood that transformed disability into a driver of creation.

-Some children have written about her, who see her as an inspiration.