Art Dubai

Press Release

Ayyam Gallery at Art Dubai 2010 Art Fair
From 17-20 March 2010, Booth #A11


Ayyam Gallery (Damascus/Dubai/Beirut) is pleased to announce its participation in the 2010 edition of Art Dubai (March 17 – 20). With the region continuing to gain significant coverage across the globe, the annual art fair has become indispensable to contemporary Middle Eastern art. Correspondingly, since first opening in Syria in 2006, Ayyam has swiftly grown into a staple of the local art scene as one of the Arab world's leading commercial spaces. Working with the mission of offering international audiences exciting new talent and the latest trends, the blue-chip gallery will present a stellar selection of its powerhouse lineup of artists.

Featuring Nadim Karam, Walid El-Masri, Thaier Helal, Mohannad Orabi, Abdul-Karim Majdal Al-Beik and Oussama Diab, Ayyam's showcase will highlight some of the most sought-after Arab artists working today. With a special focus on young painters, the gallery will present a glimpse of a heady art movement, one that is quickly sweeping West Asia. From the Levant to the Gulf, painting is reemerging as a dominant form, with cutting-edge examples of contemporary works becoming prevalent in exhibitions and at auction. With the launching of its Shabab Ayyam Project in 2007, the gallery has not only predicted this future of Arab art, it has laid the foundation for its development, providing an underrepresented generation of Levantine artists with the opportunity to take their works to the world's stage. El-Masri, Helal, Orabi and Diab represent this stirring group of artists with dynamic works that are boundless in their vision.

Lebanese painter Walid El-Masri's canvases are at once meditative and cerebral. The spiritual meets the complex in explorations of formalistic properties that employ a variety of techniques. Focusing on a single object such as a chair, expressionist and abstract nods are scattered throughout, making for staggering compositions that demonstrate visual prowess and immediately cease the viewer.

Complimenting Masri's figurative paintings are the monumental abstractions of UAE-based Syrian Thaier Helal, as dozens of explosions of color and shape are contained in a grand matrix. Finding inspiration in the movement and energy of masses, his canvases capture the invisible force behind collective action, be it as a natural progression or organized occasion such as a religious precessions or political protest. Whatever the cause, the physical impact is the same—the outcome is one of bodies moving in sync, creating one giant form.

Helal depicts this phenomenon with a nuanced approach to painting that seems to record every detail with each stroke. This mastery has made him a favorite among collectors and critics throughout the Middle East.

Conversely, the oversized, whimsical figures found in the paintings of Syrian Mohannad Orabi demonstrate an introspective look at human behavior. Whereas Helal taps into the external, Orabi draws from the psychic power of human emotion through highly stylized characters in different poses and scenarios. With broad, unrestricted brushwork, an impacting palette and a carefree essence, his protagonists possess an infectious posture—one that continues to attract a wide audience.

With similar buoyancy, Palestinian artist Oussama Diab fuses Pop art and graffiti-inspired Neo-expressionism with a perceptive eye on global affairs. Incorporating references to such artistic greats as Basquiat, Munch and da Vinci, he comments on growing political concerns while offering a fresh take on the state of the world. Although addressing these issues head-on, he does so with wit and optimism. This eclectic style has made him one of the most refreshing young painters, as his star continues to rise.

Abdul-Karim Majdal Al-Beik's current series has turned to the solemn walls of Damascus' Old City. Searching with astute investigation, he seeks to excavate their untold stories through the markings and cracks that have appeared on the city's exteriors over time. Recognizing this patina as the key to understanding its history, Al-Beik carefully replicates the textures, colors and shapes that emerge, employing the exact materials that are used in the construction of these ancient Damascene edifices.

Anchoring Ayyam's appearance are works by Lebanese designer/artist Nadim Karam, who's well-known in the region as a Renaissance man of sorts. A recognized architect, painter and sculptor, his participation offers a hint at the established artists the gallery also represents.

Ayyam's thrilling collection of work at this year's Art Dubai will not only illustrate its commitment to the progression of the contemporary art scene, it will exhibit the many ways in which the gallery has sought to foster creativity among artists that are uninhibited in their scope and thoroughly avant-garde.

DATES & TIMES:
OPENING NIGHT: Wednesday 17 March 2010 | 16:00 - 22:00
PUBLIC DAYS: Thursday 18 March | 16:00 - 22:00
Friday 19 March | 12:00 - 22:00
Saturday 20 March | 12:00 - 18:00

For more information please contact: +971 4 323 6242 OR at dubai@ayyamgallery.com

Selected Works