Ayyam Gallery Beirut is pleased to announce Seven Years, a solo exhibition of artist Elias Izoli. Featuring a new body of work, the exhibition highlights figurative paintings representative of the state Izoli has witnessed living in Syria over the past seven years.
Izoli continues to introduce new figures through his strong grasp of draftsmanship and sensitivity to colour. Drawing from his surroundings and the overarching atmosphere in his country of residence, somber yet softly coloured, the paintings depict children who appear to reach out to the viewer. With hunched shoulders and evocative gazes, either looking directly at the viewer or off to a distance unaware that anyone is looking, the children’s presence invokes a sense of intrusion in the viewer and a heightened sense of one’s own presence in front of the painting. The children’s strong gazes resonate with the viewer, building an empathic connection between viewer and subject. The melancholic nature of the works, combined with the muted palette Izoli uses, draws the viewer to step into these private spaces.
