Suad Al-Attar draws inspiration from Arab poetry, history, and mythology. She recalls Iraq's folkloric past, which is steeped in imagery and motifs indicative of Mesopotamian history. With a leaning towards graphic sensitivity, much Al-Attar’s work is flat, linear, and emblematic and is also couched within a deep literary tradition, attempting to convey narrative. Al-Attar studied art under Jewad Selim and was a participant in the Baghdad Modern Art Group in the early 1960s. Her 1965 Baghdad show is recognised as among the first solo exhibitions by an Iraqi woman. Al-Attar earned degrees from Baghdad University and California State University. She also studied printmaking in London at the Wimbledon School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. She returned to Iraq and actively exhibited and taught art for a decade. In 1976, she moved to London but her art works continue to reference Iraq’s cultural heritage, from ancient, Islamic and modern periods. Al-Attar's work is featured in major permanent collections in the UK and at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha.