As a child, he helped his mother who made folkloric clay statues of Arab Bedouins and local farmers.
[4] On his return to Baghdad, Hassan founded the Painting Department at the Fine Arts Institute in 1939-1940 in conjunction with his friend, artist and sculptor, Jawad Saleem.
Artists active in this group, like Hassan, had been educated abroad, returned with a European aesthetic, yet wanted to paint local scenes and landscapes.
Members included: Jawad Saleem, Ismail al Sheikhli, Kamil Chadirji, Mohammed Ghani Hikmat and Nadhim Ramzi.
Inspired by Mespotamian art and Iraqi folklore, the group was led by Hassan along with artist, Isma'il al-Shaykhali (Turkey b.
[10] In 1962, he founded the al-Zawiya (the Corners Group) with the objective of using art to focus on social and political issues, and serve national interests.