Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik

Biography

Born in a small village on the outskirts of Al-Hasakah, Syria in 1973, Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik received a graduate degree with honors from the Faculty of Fine Arts Damascus in 2001. Since then he has participated in numerous exhibitions in cultural centers and galleries throughout the Middle East. Acknowledged for his accomplished painting style, he has received several awards, including second prize at the Lattakia Biennale and second place in Ayyam's Shabab competition for emerging artists. Audiences have been further exposed to his dramatic canvases with a solo exhibition at Ayyam Damascus and in critically acclaimed shows, most notably the gallery's "Buried in Tradition/My World/Walls Speak." His works are housed in public and private collections in the Middle East and Europe and have been featured in such noteworthy events as Art Palm Beach and Art Miami in the US.

Although his earlier works were inspired by recollections of his rural upbringing, summoning the scenes and sensations of his childhood, 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. With a limited palette of white, black and grey, he reconfigures these two dimensional surfaces with a meticulous attention to detail using charcoal, plaster, starch and ash. Fissures in texture appear when these materials collide, creating a startling effect that speaks of a weighty exploration into the bearing of witness and the unearthing of memories.

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Artist Press

Wall Reversal

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Encrypted in Walls, by Nadia Muhanna

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Artist Exhibitions

Buried in Tradition / My World / Walls Speak, Moustafa Fathi and Moustafa Ali, Leila Nseir, Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik  11 Dec, 2008 - 8 Jan, 2009
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Abdul-Karim Majdal Al-Beik, Solo Show  25 Oct - 13 Nov, 2008
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Artist Publications

Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik
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Selected Works

AK54 Abdul-Karim MAJDAL AL-BEIK 'Wall' 145 X 140 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008 LOCATION: BEIRUT

AK78 Abdul-Karim MAJDAL AL-BEIK 'Wall' 120 X 120 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: BEIRUT

AK73 Abdul-Karim MAJDAL AL-BEIK 'Cold Wall' 120 X 130 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DAMASCUS

AK74 Abdul-Karim MAJDAL AL-BEIK 'Trace' 120 X 100 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DAMASCUS

AK75 Abdul-Karim MAJDAL AL-BEIK 'Wall' 152 X 152 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DAMASCUS

AK38 Abdul-Karim MAJDAL AL-BEIK 'Wall' 120 X 150 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008 LOCATION: DUBAI

AK59 Abdul-Karim MAJDAL AL-BEIK "Mourik 2' 152 X 152 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008 LOCATION: DUBAI