He joined the Friends of Art Committee in Baghdad 1941 - Iraq's first formal art society, modelled on European art groups. He also became an early member of the Baghdad Modern Art Group formed by Jawad Saleem and Shakir Hassan Al Said in 1951; a group that sought to inspire a sense of national identity by combining Iraqi heritage within the framework of modern abstract art.[6] As a result of his involvement with the Baghdad Modern Art Group, his academic style was gradually transformed into a more abstract style.[7] His early artwork was based on themes of popular culture and everyday life.