First gallery
dedicated to Middle East art opens in Singapore
A
gallery dedicated to Middle East Art has just opened in Singapore with an
exhibition showcasing two emerging artists: Lebanese artist Semaan Khawam and Syrian artist Thaer Maarouf
"Kisses of an
Enemy" at Sana Gallery offers
visually powerful works that record the impact on society and individuals caused
by recent political upheavals in the Middle East.
Maarouf highlights
human rights issues in the Middle East, in particular the conditions of
displaced populations. His works include paintings portraying concealed human
figures and faces behind layers of longitudinal lines or trickled with tiny jasmine
flowers as the artist intentionally blurs reality, “as if to say that we do not
really see or that we cannot realistically convey the historical and almost
always violent images that we are bombarded with daily in the news,” explained
gallery founder Assaad W. Razzouk.
In a mixed-media
piece entitled “Back to School,” Maarouf portrays a child hiding his head
behind reddish sheet of paper which seem to have been puncture by bullet holes,
while standing in front of a dilapidated structure. The greyish tone of the
work makes it oppressive, yet a few, tiny flowers emerging from the ground also
give a sense of hope.
Khawam
speaks to the power of art to challenge sectarianism and limits on freedom of
expression in the Middle East. In his paintings and stencil work the artist considers
the consequences of current events in Syria with a technique that includes
graffiti art. His paintings depict human figures destitute of any
characteristics, shadowy beings. Children playing, holding flowers and jumping
rope are shown blackened, their human features becoming just shadows.
Sana, named after
the Arabic word for splendor, is located in a traditional shophouse on the
outskirts of Singapore’s Chinatown district and was founded by Razzouk, a
British-Lebanese entrepreneur specializing in sustainable energy projects.
"Kisses of an
Enemy" runs until November 18, 12 Blair Road
AS FIRST PUBLISHED ON ARTINFO.COM