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 earning a reputation as one of the Middle East's most exciting contemporary painters. 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, Art Hong Kong and Art Palm Beach. His works are housed in such prominent Middle Eastern institutions as the Syrian National Museum and Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts.
A standout artist whose acrylic canvases hint at an array of creative influences, he has developed a style of painting that incorporates original subject matter with a refined sense of design, a daring use of color and a vivid imagination. His large scale compositions often revolve around portraits of women—a subject matter that the artist 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 fields, 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 reminiscent of David Hockney's pools and were rendered with a palette similar to that found in the work of Alex Katz. His more recent canvases have become increasingly campy and outlandish, with a refreshing sense of freedom that is rare among painters today.
Artist Press
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Now LebanonDownload PDF (73 K)
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, Ayyam Gallery, Beirut 31 Mar - 26 May, 2010View Exhibition
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
Ayyam Editions
Khaled TakretiView Edition
Selected Works
KT58 Khaled TAKRETI 'Nous Deux' 130 X 195 cm. Acrylic on Canvas 2010. LOCATION: BEIRUT
KT48 Khaled TAKRETI 'Les Voleurs d'étoiles' 194 X 130 cm. Acrylic on Canvas 2009. LOCATION: BEIRUT
KT47 Khaled TALRETI 'L'arc-en-ciel' 194 X 130 cm. Acrylic on Canvas 2009. LOCATION: BEIRUT
KT26 Khaled TAKRETI 'La Vie en Rose' 195 X 130 cm. Acrylic on Canvas 2008. LOCATION: BEIRUT
KT44 Khaled TAKRETI 'La Chasse au Dinosaure' 180x180 cm. Acrylic and Golden Paper on Canvas 2008. LOCATION: DUBAI
KT14 Khaled TAKERTI 'The Big Day' 180 X 180 cm. Acrylic on Canvas 2008. Location: DUBAI