A well-known figure in the Syrian art scene, Nassir Shoura’s painting styles evolved over time while the theme of nature and landscapes remained his subject. “My love for nature was the main inspiration for me as we lived in an old wooden house surrounded by a small vegetable garden,” he once said.
Born in Damascus, Nassir Shoura (1920–1992) began drawing in school and moved to Italy in the late 1930s to study fine arts. During the turbulent period leading up to the Second World War, Shoura left Italy for Egypt, finally graduating from the Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo in 1947.
After returning to Syria, Shoura worked as an art teacher in schools and taught at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus when it opened in 1960 until his retirement in 1990. Active in the discourse around the arts, he was a founding member of a number of associations, including the Veronese Atelier and Group D. These groups met regularly to discuss contemporary issues in art and politics and planned group exhibitions together.