By Black by Rabee Kiwan at Fann A Porter
A collage of faces displaying myriads of emotions, in Syrian artist Rabee Kiwan’s signature style is on display at Fann A Porter Galley, Dubai. On his canvas, a mob of humans huddle together looking forlorn and melancholic, at times shocked and surprised. Depicting struggles of people of his homeland, Syria, the artist has captured raw emotions inviting introspection into existential quandaries. “The faces in Syria are free of any masks, falsifications and embellishments. They are real in the face of poverty and need, beautiful even if there is suffering and pain. They ask questions as big as life and death. They are inspiring and spontaneous as the facial expressions of a hungry child,” Kiwan tells Middle East Masala.
A striking feature of the dark-haired figurines is the size of their eyes — the wide oval shapes, which are inspired by the Arab world’s ancient civilization, found on Sumerian sculptures, where the size of the eyes signified a person’s socio-economic status. The eyes, the artist points out, are the widest and deepest doors to current reality. “They underwent various stages of change as I have been drawing them for more than a decade, until how you see them now,” he tells.
In continuation of his earlier project Black, this series titled Black II introduces an interplay of delicate hues of yellow and blue amidst the compositions. An exquisite range of ceramics have also been unveiled by the artist this time, made with oxide colour glaze on kaolin and Syrian clay, hand painted with these figurines.
Born in 1984 in Damascus, Kiwan studied painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Damascus, He has lived and worked in Beirut and Paris and now divides his time between Dubai and Suwayda, a city in southwestern Syria. A significant aspect of his work takes cues from observing reality and trying to imitate what he sees.
His artistic journey began early on, when as a child he used to draw in is notebooks. “I would sometimes carve on wood too, using a kitchen knife and make my own toys from materials available at home. My elder brother played a big role in cultivating my interest in art. I used to imitate his drawings and use some of his colours as well,” tells Kiwan.
Working primarily in acrylic, oil and mix media, the artist says, he incorporates various materials to create textures in his artwork. Kiwan’s work has been exhibited globally at various locations including Lab 44 Gallery in Paris, the French Cultural Centre in Damascus, Arab Cultural Centre in Abu Rumana, Syria, Marc Hachem Gallery, Beirut, the World Bank Exhibition in Washington DC and Adiacenze Gallery in Italy.
The current exhibition at Fann A Porter Gallery, The Workshop Dubai, runs till October 23rd, 2023. There will be an artist-led tour on Oct 13th at 6.30 pm. To attend RSVP: info@fannaporter.com