Basim El-Mahdi was born in 1973 – Alnassiriya in Iraq. He graduated from the Technology Institute / Electricity in Alnassiriya. He is now the head of the Society of Iraqi Calligraphist-Thi-Qar and member of The Iraqi Plastic Arts Society.

Basim has worked in - or with- design, graphics arts and calligraphic artworks since 1998. He has participated in many local and international shows and has held two personal (Art Gallery) shows.

Basim drew the Basim Marah font in CorelDraw and then digitalized to be a typeface by Hasan Abu Afash.