Safwan Dahoul’s recent paintings indicate several new developments in his ongoing Dream series, the influential body of work that has distinguished his career. Although the psychologically laden paintings are widely exhibited and collected, little is known about the origins of the series other than the fact that it began as an autobiographical reflection of time but has since grown to represent the mounting devastation and desolation of the Syrian crisis.
While I have written extensively on Dahoul’s work, I am still left with many questions. With each reading of the series, I continue to discover things, layers that I missed when focusing on other aspects of his recurring subject matter and shifting forms. Essentially, the paintings allow for infinite interpretations but the underlying meaning remains the same. This degree of inventiveness, with which a single artwork gradually reveals information but continues to mystify viewers, can only be attributed to the mastery of an artist who is well-versed in the language of his medium yet insists on defying its basic principles.
