NEW YORK — Iraqi painter Ahmed Alsoudani’s experience is unique. When he came to the United States in 2000, he had no money and was not fluent in English. But, after a few years, he obtained a master's degree at Yale University and became a world-renowned artist. His paintings have sold for more than $1 million and are now displayed at the Phoenix Art Museum in Arizona, Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio, Portland Museum of Art and Pinault Foundation in Italy. Below is Al-Monitor's interview with Alsoudani on the sidelines of his exhibition at the Gladstone Gallery.

Al-Monitor:  What elements influenced your artistic experience the most: talent, culture or academic study?

Alsoudani:  I feel that I was very lucky in the 1990s, when I was in Syria after I had left Iraq. I lived in a cultural environment among Iraqi and Arab poets and artists. This enriched my life experience and allowed me to clearly set my objectives. When I arrived to the US, I knew what I wanted: I wanted to study art.

Al-Monitor:  You mentioned once that when you came to the US in 2000, you had no money and no educational degree and you did not know English. How did you obtain in 2008 a master's degree from Yale University, the world leading art university?