Through his use of vivid colour, Ibrahim Ismail’s segmented style reflects scenes of daily life in Kuwait. By depicting old marketplaces, street corners and shops in his paintings, Ismail meanders among public and private spaces and the people occupying them. In addition to themes that convey aspects of Kuwaiti heritage, Ismail has produced work that deals more explicitly with political events, including overtly patriotic renderings of emblems of the state. After graduating from Kuwait’s Teachers Institute in 1968, Ismail attended the Higher Institute of Theatre Arts. He was a member of the Kuwaiti Society for Developing Artists and represented the country at the first Arab Biennial held in Baghdad in 1974. Ismail has exhibited frequently in the Middle East throughout his career and in 2015, at Kuwait’s Boushari Art Gallery under the patronage of the National Council for Culture.