Thaier Helal

Biography

Born in Syria in 1967, Thaier Helal has been recognized as a significant member of the Arab and Gulf Art scene since moving to the United Arab Emirates in the 1990s. A senior faculty member of the University of Sharjah, Fine Arts College, he has participated in exhibitions and events throughout the region, including the Sharjah, Alexandria and Tehran Biennials and Christie’s, Bonhams and Ayyam auctions.

A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus, Helal has emerged as a distinguished figure of contemporary Syrian art with a unique approach to painting that remains at the forefront of Arab abstraction. This has been confirmed by the countless honors that have been bestowed upon him, such as the Al Burda International Award from the Emirati Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development (2008), the Grand Gold Award at the Tehran International Biennial (2005), the Award for Painting at the Sharjah International Biennial (1997) and the Distinguished Works Award at the 15th General Exhibition of the UAE Fine Arts Association (1996). Yet Helal’s long exhibition history is not limited to the Middle East, as he has also been featured in international art fairs, biennials and exhibitions throughout Asia and Europe.

Helal’s large mixed media canvases demonstrate the evolution of an artistic style that is amidst a perpetual state of evolution. Inspired by the world around him, including the physical and psychic aspects of society and culture, his abstract paintings utilize experiments in palette, texture, and medium to draw in the viewer while triggering the senses. Communicating movement and energy through explosions of color, the meticulous division of space and the layering of surface, his compositions are marked by a profound expressionism and spontaneity that alludes to the internal and the sublime.

Download PDF (38 K)

Artist Press

Thaier Helal: Locating the Infinite, Contemporary Practices  March 2011

Download PDF (1.6 MB)

Syrian Style and Substance, 7 Days  March 13, 2010

Download PDF (65 K)

Artistic Intuition "The Harmony of Thaier Helal", Canvas Magazine  May 2008

Download PDF (387 K)

Thaier HELAL, "A Quest for Sinergy" CANVAS MAGAZINE  December 2006

Download PDF (666 K)

Artist Exhibitions

Thaier Helal - Liberated Spatiality, Ayyam Gallery, Damascus  6 Mar - 20 , 2010
View Exhibition

Basel (SCOPE)  8 Jun - 14 , 2009
View Exhibition

Shabab Uprising  19 Feb - 19 Apr, 2009
View Exhibition

Artist Publications

Thaier Helal
View Publication

Selected Works

TH63 Thaier HELAL 'Untitled' 150 X 180 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2010

TH55 Thaier HELAL 'Untitled' 140 X 140 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2010

TH81 Thaier Helal 'Infinite' 220 x 240 cm. Acrylic and Polystyrene Balls on Canvas 2011