Mouteea Murad’s work sees a unification of spirituality and formalism, continuously drawing influence from the geometric forms and motifs of Islamic art. Murad began his career as a painter working on monochromatic, expressionist compositions that depict the anguish of modern man. In 2007, his work took on a renewed outlook that redirected his painting style, exploring relativity, spatiality, and the visual dynamic of geometric forms.
Murad’s work differs greatly from those of his contemporaries; his works present in pure abstraction and harmonious color. When the artist first approached Shabab Ayyam competition with his work in 2007, he presented figurative works. However, in the seven months between registration and submission, Murad had created works that evolved that reflected through the gradual stages of pure abstraction.
In his compositions, the artist builds on the breakthroughs of previous movements, experimenting with automatic brushwork, the illusionistic perspective of Op art, the symmetry of geometric abstraction, and the collapsing planes of Suprematism. Highly influenced by artists such as Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky.
In his most recent series, his relationship with mathematics plays an integral role, with the Fibonacci numbers and sequence at its centre. His forms and lines are largely defined by algebraic functions and their geometric application within the work. Murad continues to draw inspiration from Islamic art while employing forms and lines largely defined by algebraic functions, allowing for his work to see a unification of spirituality and formalism.
Murad lives and works in Sharjah, UAE. He received a Bachelor of Art from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus in 2001. Selected solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai (2022, 2018, 2016); Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2018, 2011); Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai (2017, 2011); and Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2010). His work can be found in private and public collections internationally, including the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts.