Walid El Masri

Biography

The paintings of Lebanese artist Walid El-Masri possess what one critic referred to as the "bravura and technique one rarely finds in the work of someone his age."
Born in Beirut in 1979, he is a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus and has participated in numerous group exhibitions and art fairs at home and abroad, including in Europe, Asia and the US. Considered one of the Arab world's most exciting young talents, he has been given solo shows in Damascus, Dubai and Paris and has been featured in a number of Ayyam's high profile events such as its competition for emerging artists in 2007 and its "Young Collectors" auction in 2009. The recipient of several awards, he has won prizes at various workshops and contests in Syria.

Masri's paintings combine the sublime nature and serene spirit of such mystical sects as the Sufi or Druze while displaying a meticulous approach to rendering subjects. Experiments in palette and composition revolve around a relentless examination of a singular material subject—a simple chair. Yet this inanimate object possesses a startling power, as it functions as a point of departure for greater investigations into the fundamental components of painting.
Like Morandi's vases or Cezanne's apples, El Masri's depictions are less about the objects themselves. What we find instead is an apparent resolve to reconfigure compositional properties, as he toys with depth and space, alluding to meditations on art and life and moments that are suspended in time—profound explorations that have attracted a large pool of collectors from across the Middle East.

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Artist Press

Deep Seated, Timeout Dubai  November 2009

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Carving Out a Future, Syria Today  June 2008

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Intensity and Innovation, Canvas Guide  May 2008

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Chairman of the Board, Canvas Guide  February 2008
By Anneka Lenssen
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Artist Exhibitions

Walid El Masri Solo Exhibition, At Ayyam Gallery, Dubai  12 Nov - 31 Dec, 2009
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Art Hong Kong  14 May - 17 , 2009
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Shabab Uprising  19 Feb - 19 Apr, 2009
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Walid EL-MASRI Solo Exhibition  7 Jun - 19 , 2008
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Artist Publications

Walid El Masri
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Ayyam Editions

Walid El-Masri
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Selected Works

WM126 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 120 X 120 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DUBAI

WM135 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 205 X 180 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DUBAI

WM136 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 205 X 180 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DUBAI

WM87 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 180 X 180 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008. LOCATION: BEIRUT

WM63 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 150 X 150 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008. LOCATION: BEIRUT

WM86 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 180 X 180 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008 LOCATION: BEIRUT

WM137 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 150 X 150 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DUBAI

WM139 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 120 X 120 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DUBAI

WM85 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 180 X 150 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008 LOCATION: DAMASCUS

WM115 Walid EL-MASRI 'Chairs' 150 X 150 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2009 LOCATION: DAMASCUS