After a highly successful debut in Spring, and a silent spell over Ramadan for renovations, Ayyam Gallery, Dubai comes back with a bang, with a show of six of its finest Syrian artists. Ayyam Gallery, Dubai has gathered some of Syria's finest contemporary names from its formidable stable of artists for a group exhibition which will feature a vast variety of media. Some of the artists express themselves in shades of black and white, while others opt for colour. The show is an expression of both and will include paintings and photographs that cover different subjects, styles and techniques, all drawing on colour or monochrome. The six artists on show will be Khaled Takreti, Safwan Dahoul, Nassouh Zaghlouleh, Ammar Al-Beik, Asaad Arabi, and Youssef Abdelke.
The exhibition is in essence six solo shows brought together by the theme of Black versus Colour. Each artist has given a brief description of the inspirations behind their pieces.
Khaled Takreti:
Takreti's work is centered on time and the rhythm it gives our lives. The paintings are inspired by images derived from his childhood. "Some I lived while others I longed for in my dreams... the eyes of a mother, the signs of a fading emotion, memories of happiness and colours of hope".
Ultimately, this exhibition focuses on the importance of love during childhood and the colour it gives us for the rest of our lives.
Safwan Dahoul:
Safwan Dahoul's pieces are dedicated to his late wife Nawar who he recently lost after a courageous battle with cancer.
"When my soul separates from my body
And it settles in this void
I know that I have become alone...
To Nawar"
Nassouh Zaghlouleh:
Ever since Zaghlouleh was a child, he has always been mesmerized by the tricks that the light played on objects, creating shadows and strange shapes. His mother and aunt would drag him to the Hamidiya Bazaar in Syria, where Zaghlouleh would spend most of his time watching the dust fall, creating arches as they hit the roof of the bazaar.
Zaghlouleh's work is inspired by the extermination of light projecting from the sun. Over the years, he has studied light falling from luminous colour sources that remind him of the pale light of a lamppost in the alleys of Damascus as it spreads in the soul.
Ammar Al-Beik:
Ammar Al-Beik’s inspiration for his latest exhibition is the recovery of old lost negatives. He spent a lot of time wandering around the old Damascus souks, buying old cameras that still had film in them. When he developed them he found all sorts of surprises and captivating images. The rolls were taken in the early 1950s at an old photography studio in Damascus. Al-Beik has taken these images and brought them back to life in his own unique style. What he discovered upon developing these images are reoccurring elements that are timeless such as love, the human ego, the perceived power of youth, and the true frailty of man.
Asaad Arabi:
Asaad Arabi’s latest exhibition is focused around the timeless “still life” art form. According to Arabi, the subject of "Still Life" in the painting arouses "perplexity", particularly to those who are searching for meaning, significance, and formal narration rather than the construction and characteristics of performance. His bold use of colour gives a personal touch to the still life tradition.
Youssef Abdelke:
Youssef Abdelke is a master at working with the contrast between black and color. His monochromatic compositions focus our attention on the details and contrasts between elements. In his latest offering, Abdelke focuses on similarities.
“We’re all similarities... similarities of humans, similarities of citizens. We put well-made masks on to help us smile, move, write, travel and trade... But in the end we are all the same...The life of Arabs today teaches us that the colour of our present is becoming the blackness of our future...”.
