‘The Fragility of Life’ by Mhmood Goyani, one of the paintings featured in an exhibit that runs through Aug. 16, 2025, at The Falls on the Colorado Museum in Marble Falls. Courtesy photo
An exhibit featuring the work of Iraqi-born artist Mhmood Goyani of Marble Falls runs July 14 through Aug. 16 at The Falls on the Colorado Museum. His paintings reflect life in Central Texas as well as in his home country.
A resident of Marble Falls since 2023, Goyani grew up in Mosul, Iraq, where his work was well known. His entire portfolio, which included 40 oil paintings, was destroyed by war.
Goyani’s first solo exhibit in the United States was in April 2025 at H. Stephen Jackson’s architecture studio in Marble Falls.
His work fits perfectly into the aesthetic of The Falls on the Colorado Museum, said museum board Chair Darlene Oostermeyer in a media release announcing the exhibit.
“Goyani used his artistic skills to help restore the historic landmarks and religious sites in Mosul that were destroyed by terrorists,” she said. “This building, the Old Granite School, where his exhibit will be, is another piece of history that a community has worked to maintain as part of its history and culture.”
Just before the exhibit opened, Goyani completed a painting titled “The Fragility of Life,” depicting a little girl in the middle of a “very angry nature.”
“She is moving her small, simple hands as if she is trying to defend herself and resist the disaster with her very small body, but hope is always present,” Goyani said in the media release. “The sky-blue color is the key to the painting, and it represents hope and the future.”
“The Fragility of Life” was donated to a fundraiser July 12 at Save the World Brewing Co. in Marble Falls for the benefit of victims of the Fourth of July flood in the Texas Hill Country.
“He equated the recent floods to the pain he felt in Iraq when his city, country, and family members were bombed,” Oostermeyer said. “He told me he was using his art to show his caring and concern for all of those affected.”
Around 15 paintings, including “The Fragility of Life,” will be on display in the museum’s Madolyn Frasier Room through Aug. 16.
The Falls on the Colorado Museum is located at 2001 Broadway in Marble Falls. It is open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free. Learn more at fallsmuseum.org or by emailing focmuseumchair@gmail.com.
Read more about Goyani’s art and life at DailyTrib.com.
