For over twenty years, Syrian artist Safwan Dahoul has frequently used just a single word to title his paintings: “Dream.” Reflecting an oeuvre mostly comprised of variations on an enigmatic theme, the title acts to connect works that can be grouped as an uninterrupted series. Although it is not unusual for artists to present lengthy explorations of subject matter, styles or concepts, his examination acts as a visual stream of consciousness. Each canvas is prompted by its predecessor, while simultaneously informing the next. Yet each piece possesses an individual narrative, a chapter in a grand saga that has taken hold of the artist’s psyche and is recorded for the viewer. Dahoul’s minimalist palette, elongated female subject and marked treatment of negative and positive space work to depict a world where apparitions and ambiguity reign supreme.
By Maymanah Farhat
