Khaled Takreti
Biography
Born in Beirut in 1964, Syrian artist Khaled Takreti studied architecture and design in Damascus and worked for the General Directorate of Antiquity and Museums in Syria prior to launching his career as a contemporary painter. Developing a love for drawing at an early age, he later harnessed his talent through years of formal training. In 1995 he moved to New York City where he absorbed international trends and expanded his knowledge of art over the course of two years. This continued when he relocated to Paris, where he has been working as a full time artist since 2006. His paintings have been shown in solo and group exhibitions throughout the Middle East, Europe and the US and in international expositions such as the Alexandria Biennale, Art Paris, and Art Hong Kong . His works are housed in such prominent Middle Eastern institutions as the Syrian National Museum and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts.
Through acrylic canvases that explore the inherent psychology behind his human subjects, he has developed a painting style that incorporates contemporary portraiture with a refined sense of design. His large-scale compositions often revolve around portraits of women—a subject matter that he feels brings a sense of stability and strength while generating tranquility and balance in his work. Takreti’s elegant and demure heroines are often elongated figures that although occupying only a small portion of the canvas, have a staggering presence. Positioned against a loud background of solid color, his subjects exist within a delicate setting that is executed with meticulous planning, an element that is the direct result of the artist’s architectural training. Thin lines dissect the composition into horizontal and vertical planes, as his fashionable protagonists stare aloofly at the viewer. The artist’s earlier works, which were often portraits of mature women of a particular social background, emanated with a subtle force. His more recent canvases have become increasingly campy and outlandish, with a refreshing sense of freedom that is rare among painters today.
In 2010 he was commissioned to create two mural-sized paintings for the inaugural exhibition of Qatar’s Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, where his work is also part of its unparalleled collection.
Artist Press
Architectural Figurative, Canvas Magazine January 2011Download PDF (529 K)
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Now Lebanon
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Khaled Takreti: Masterfully Combining Two School of Art, Forward Magazine January 2009
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Movers and Painters, Time Out July 2008
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Artist Exhibitions
Khaled Takreti, I am a Teenager Again 25 Oct - 12 Dec, 2010View Exhibition
Ayyam Gallery Dubai DIFC Grand Opening, Photos 25 Oct, 2010
View Exhibition
Khaled Takreti - I Am a Teenager Again, Ayyam Gallery, Beirut 31 Mar - 26 May, 2010
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Basel (SCOPE) 8 Jun - 14 , 2009
View Exhibition
My Grandmother and I, Khaled Takreti 31 Jan - 28 Feb, 2009
View Exhibition
Black vs Colour 16 Oct - 30 Nov, 2008
View Exhibition
Artist Publications
Khaled Takreti, "I am a Teenager Again"View Publication
Selected Works
Khaled TAKRETI 'Generation' 180 x 720 cm. Acrylic on Canvas + Collage 2010
KT58 Khaled TAKRETI 'Nous Deux' 130 X 195 cm. Acrylic on Canvas 2010
KT68 Khaled Takreti 'Le second s'appelle (The Silver Fish)' 195 X 130 cm. Acrylic on Canvas 2011