Kohan comments that his work is merely a reflection of how he sees the world around him. 'Many find that life is a struggle of both the emotional and the physical...My art reflects what is often a simultaneous experience of both the struggle and beauty that comprises life. With my art, I communicate across cultural divides, language barriers, religion and gender. I’m a citizen of this world.'

Born in Tehran in 1967, Farzad Kohan lives and works in Los Angeles. Solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai in 2013 and Seyhoun Gallery, Los Angeles in 2006. Selected group exhibitions include Human Rights Awareness Tour, USA (2008); JFerrari Gallery, Los Angeles (2008); Eagle Rock Cultural Centre for Arts (2008); Phantom Galleries, Los Angeles (2007). 

Kohan comments that his work is merely a reflection of how he sees the world around him. 'Many find that life is a struggle of both the emotional and the physical...My art reflects what is often a simultaneous experience of both the struggle and beauty that comprises life. With my art, I communicate across cultural divides, language barriers, religion and gender. I’m a citizen of this world.'

Born in Tehran in 1967, Farzad Kohan lives and works in Los Angeles. Solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai in 2013 and Seyhoun Gallery, Los Angeles in 2006. Selected group exhibitions include Human Rights Awareness Tour, USA (2008); JFerrari Gallery, Los Angeles (2008); Eagle Rock Cultural Centre for Arts (2008); Phantom Galleries, Los Angeles (2007). 

Influenced by his belief that contemporary abstraction is rooted in the logic and science of Islamic thought, Murad’s most recent series, Trials, seeks to extract the beautiful and sacred by reconfiguring abstraction through reference to the multifarious traditions of Islamic art. Striving for completeness and harmony, his compositions suggest a divine presence in the world.

Born in 1977 in Homs, Syria, Mouteea Murad lives and works in Cairo. His work is housed in private and public collections internationally, including the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. Selected solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2011); Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai (2011); Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2010). 

Al Turk’s haunting mixed media canvases are largely influenced by his outlook on life and personal political convictions. Believing that man is innately flawed and that only through an existence filled with love can there be human progress, he drafts compositions that hint at the injustices of the surrounding world. He does so with a sophisticated technique of flattening space and utilizing colour fields and patterns to give illusions of depth and dimension. Creating an aesthetic that is based on the tradition of still life painting, yet is dominated by symbolic representation, his works employ a detailed system of signs that allude to philosophical conclusions. 

The large, colourful canvases of Palestinian artist Oussama Diab employ pop-art and childlike imagery as a means of exploring global political concerns. Balloons, bananas and water guns function as symbolist interpretations of current events - in contrast to the universality of their nondescript background. Both figurative and abstract, Diab’s compositions relay stories of love and hate within a conflicted society. 

With a grid covering the surface of the canvas, Monfared fills each square with overlapping hatched colours. Forming a portrait of renowned Iranian photographer Shirin Neshat, the grid-like structure and multi-layered hatchings create a vibrant, pixellated surface of undulating colours and textures.

Her work is held in a number of public and private collections including the Centre Culturel Francais, Beirut; the Museum of Digne les Bains; Cabo Frio Museum, Rio de Janeiro; the Arab League, Washington DC; the Hariri Foundation, Washington DC., and the Biblioteca Alexandrina, Alexandria. She is also known for her artist books, such as Face to Face, the Artist as Woman and Mother (1985), Ginane, Diary of a Woman (1986), Extraordinary People (1998) and Dichotomie en Blanc et Noir (2009). 

Gharem has exhibited in Europe, the Gulf and the USA, including at the Victoria & Albert and British Museums, Martin Gropius-Bau, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Palazzo Grassi (Francois Pinault Foundation) and at the Venice, Sharjah& Berlin Biennales. He recently made history when his installation Message/Messenger sold for a world record price at auction in Dubai, establishing Gharem as the highest selling living Gulf artist. Gharem donated the proceeds of this sale to foster art education in his native country. His first monograph Abdulnasser Gharem: Art of Survival was published in London in October 2011. He currently lives and works in Riyadh. 

Gharem has exhibited in Europe, the Gulf and the USA, including at the Victoria & Albert and British Museums, Martin Gropius-Bau, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Palazzo Grassi (Francois Pinault Foundation) and at the Venice, Sharjah& Berlin Biennales. He recently made history when his installation Message/Messenger sold for a world record price at auction in Dubai, establishing Gharem as the highest selling living Gulf artist. Gharem donated the proceeds of this sale to foster art education in his native country. His first monograph Abdulnasser Gharem: Art of Survival was published in London in October 2011. He currently lives and works in Riyadh. 

Shaweesh is a young Saudi street artist based in Riyadh, part of a growing movement of young street artists in the country. He has five years of experience creating digital art, typography and graffiti. 

Shaweesh is a young Saudi street artist based in Riyadh, part of a growing movement of young street artists in the country. He has five years of experience creating digital art, typography and graffiti. 

Shaweesh is a young Saudi street artist based in Riyadh, part of a growing movement of young street artists in the country. He has five years of experience creating digital art, typography and graffiti. 

Raised in Abha, the capital of Aseer (a region to the south of Saudi Arabia), Mater remains rooted in his Aseeri local identity. As well as leading a young artistic collective called Ibn Aseer (Son of Aseer), he is an integral part of the recent history of Abha’s Miftaha Arts Village, part of the King Fahad Cultural Centre.

Maters work, widely shown in the Middle East and in Europe and in the collection of the British Museum and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is informed by his education and life as a medical doctor, as well as by his traditional religious upbringing and Saudi culture. His work, which encompasses photography, calligraphy, painting, installation and video, explores the narratives and aesthetics of Islamic culture in an era of globalisation, consumerism and dramatic flux. A monograph on Ahmed Mater’s life and work was published internationally by Booth-Clibborn Editions in 2010. 

Raised in Abha, the capital of Aseer (a region to the south of Saudi Arabia), Mater remains rooted in his Aseeri local identity. As well as leading a young artistic collective called Ibn Aseer (Son of Aseer), he is an integral part of the recent history of Abha’s Miftaha Arts Village, part of the King Fahad Cultural Centre.

Maters work, widely shown in the Middle East and in Europe and in the collection of the British Museum and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is informed by his education and life as a medical doctor, as well as by his traditional religious upbringing and Saudi culture. His work, which encompasses photography, calligraphy, painting, installation and video, explores the narratives and aesthetics of Islamic culture in an era of globalisation, consumerism and dramatic flux. A monograph on Ahmed Mater’s life and work was published internationally by Booth-Clibborn Editions in 2010. 

Her PDA series evokes the hidden wants and affections of a predominantly conservative society. She personifies the emotions that are diluted and often masked. Through whimsy and charming simplicity, she portrays a humanity which is not associated with the Middle Eastern region.

These ten prints include a title page and signed colophon in a presentation box. 

Since 1970, she has held countless solo exhibitions, both in the US and abroad and has been featured in a number of groundbreaking group exhibitions of Arab art throughout the US and Europe. With recent blockbuster sales of her paintings at auction, her works have become increasingly sought-after by collectors.

Although her exceptional painting style has changed dramatically over the years—from large canvases exploring the color planes of geometric and helix formations to colorist assemblages that speak of movement and nature—she has continued to push the boundaries of art for over fifty years. As such, she is recognized as a major innovator of the school of abstraction in contemporary Arab art. Halaby’s vivid canvases have been hailed by a number of international publications including The New York Times and Art in America. Forever on the cutting edge of art, in 1983 she created a computer programme for kinetic paintings, resulting in several audio-visual presentations including a tour of Syria, Palestine, and Jordan and a performance accompanied by live musicians at New York’s Lincoln Center in 1998.

Halaby’s work is housed in several museum collections worldwide, most notably the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, The British Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The Detroit Institute of Art. As an art historian, she has been instrumental in curating several exhibitions in the US. In 2002, her many years of scholarship led to the publishing of Liberation Art of Palestine, one of the few English language books on contemporary Palestinian art available today. 

Since 1970, she has held countless solo exhibitions, both in the US and abroad and has been featured in a number of groundbreaking group exhibitions of Arab art throughout the US and Europe. With recent blockbuster sales of her paintings at auction, her works have become increasingly sought-after by collectors.

Although her exceptional painting style has changed dramatically over the years—from large canvases exploring the color planes of geometric and helix formations to colorist assemblages that speak of movement and nature—she has continued to push the boundaries of art for over fifty years. As such, she is recognized as a major innovator of the school of abstraction in contemporary Arab art. Halaby’s vivid canvases have been hailed by a number of international publications including The New York Times and Art in America. Forever on the cutting edge of art, in 1983 she created a computer programme for kinetic paintings, resulting in several audio-visual presentations including a tour of Syria, Palestine, and Jordan and a performance accompanied by live musicians at New York’s Lincoln Center in 1998.

Halaby’s work is housed in several museum collections worldwide, most notably the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, The British Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The Detroit Institute of Art. As an art historian, she has been instrumental in curating several exhibitions in the US. In 2002, her many years of scholarship led to the publishing of Liberation Art of Palestine, one of the few English language books on contemporary Palestinian art available today. 

Dominated by black, white and muted tones, Dahoul’s canvases explore the relationship between the figure and its background, between the human being and space. His minimalist use of colour references his surroundings and is a response to the absence of colour now seen on the streets of Syria and the rest of the Middle East.

Firmly rooted in the personal, Dahoul’s work is also rich in art historical references; from the elaborately maquillaged eyes and cavalier perspective of Pharaonic Egypt, to gestural fingers that trace their lineage to Roman oration; to the checkerboard patterning common on Insular metalwork. The geometric shapes and curvature in the lines of Dahoul’s figures allude to the elaborate patterns of Arabic calligraphy.

Born in 1961 in Hama, Syria, Safwan Dahoul live and works in the Dubai. Selected solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai (2011, 2009); Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai (2011); Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2009). 

Born in Damascus in 1941, Asaad Arabi lives and works in Paris. He holds a PhD in Aesthetics from the Sorbonne University and his work on aesthetic theory has been widely published in both French and Arabic. Selected solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Jeddah (21013); DIFC, Dubai (2011); Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2010); Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2009); Cairo Biennial (2004); Sircov Gallery, Brest, France (2003); Kuwait Museum (2003). His works are housed in museum collections including Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris; Barcelona Contemporary Museum of Art, The National Museum, New Dehli; and South Korea’s Museum in Seoul. 

Born in Damascus in 1941, Asaad Arabi lives and works in Paris. He holds a PhD in Aesthetics from the Sorbonne University and his work on aesthetic theory has been widely published in both French and Arabic. Selected solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Jeddah (21013); DIFC, Dubai (2011); Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2010); Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2009); Cairo Biennial (2004); Sircov Gallery, Brest, France (2003); Kuwait Museum (2003). His works are housed in museum collections including Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris; Barcelona Contemporary Museum of Art, The National Museum, New Dehli; and South Korea’s Museum in Seoul. 

Characterized by a soft, warm palette that is accentuated with delicate brushwork, he often explores scenes from ancient mythology, employing grand iconography. A dominant theme of his canvases has been the visual history of man as a representation of strength, a narrative that he probes through heavy symbolism and legends. A frequent subject for the artist has been a confident steed that stands in for the image of man. Flanked by an idealised flower girl, who seems to become an extension of his elegant mane, the horse is rendered as the center of an abundant universe, demonstrating the intrinsic harmony that Diarbekirian achieves in his work. 

Update: This lot has been removed. 

A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus, she worked alongside fellow students Asaad Arabi, Faek Dahdouh, and Sakher Farzat, who later became recognised as seminal artists. Her journey as a professional artist unfolded at one of the most critical periods of the regional art scene; when modernist schools first displayed evidence of a gradual transition into contemporary modes of representation and a charged political climate urged regional culture to take up the call for social change.

A well-received solo show in Damascus in 1966 solidified her arrival on the local art scene. Since then, Fayoumi has been featured in countless solo and group exhibitions both at home and abroad and is acknowledged as a seminal female painter, one whose career has paved the way for subsequent generations of women artists. Today, Fayoumi’s paintings are admired for their unique approach to depicting a range of subjects. From mythological figures to the stark realities of war, she freely reflects 'an explosion of internal struggle', giving her work a profound sensitivity and intuition.

From her early days of depicting Damascene scenes using colourist principles of abstraction to her recent writhing compositions of quickly hatched strokes of paint, which are applied vigorously to create arcs of movement, violence, wind, chagrin, fear and horror, Fayoumi’s signature style of layered and labored figurative compositions has remained committed to depicting the world around her with fervent imagination. 

Relying mostly on intuition, Murad is a consummate colourist whose compositions emanate with liberated forms. With a glowing palette that is used to suggest light and dark contrasts, he creates an overwhelming sense of harmony, one that reflects the organic nature of his artistic vision. Shapes are created with brushstrokes that range from conservative markings to vigorous lines that have been unleashed with an explosive force.

Demonstrating a masterful command, he often employs other techniques, including collage, as there are no limits to his creative expression. Textures are built up so that the surface of the canvas seemingly leaps out at the viewer, while earthen hues meet warm and cool colours effortlessly. For the artist, the inspiration for his paintings cannot be located in a single moment or thing. Forever evolving, his melodic compositions are extracted from the depths of the subconscious. 

Relying mostly on intuition, Murad is a consummate colourist whose compositions emanate with liberated forms. With a glowing palette that is used to suggest light and dark contrasts, he creates an overwhelming sense of harmony, one that reflects the organic nature of his artistic vision. Shapes are created with brushstrokes that range from conservative markings to vigorous lines that have been unleashed with an explosive force.

Demonstrating a masterful command, he often employs other techniques, including collage, as there are no limits to his creative expression. Textures are built up so that the surface of the canvas seemingly leaps out at the viewer, while earthen hues meet warm and cool colours effortlessly. For the artist, the inspiration for his paintings cannot be located in a single moment or thing. Forever evolving, his melodic compositions are extracted from the depths of the subconscious. 

Having had an extensive exhibition history, she has participated in countless artistic events throughout the world. A leading painter of her generation, she was honoured by the Ministry of Culture for her contributions to local art in both 1968 and 1999. Nseir’s work can be found in the National Museum of Damascus and numerous private collections throughout the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America. She has spent most of her life in her native Syria. 

A seminal Modernist, his early works depict nature and the Al-Assi River that lay near his childhood home in Homs. His artistic style was heavily influenced by metaphysical interpretations in art, which lead to further experiments and developed into an impressionist language that contained elements of symbolism. As such, Sebai’s paintings treated his frequently political and social subjects with a modern approach that was influenced by both local and international schools of art. Hints of Cubism grace his figures as he belongs to a movement in Arab art that sought to depict the struggles of man in a universal language, one that was widely understood and admired thanks to the breakthroughs of Picasso and Braque and later the Mexican Muralists.

He has participated in countless exhibitions inside and outside Syria and his works are preserved in the National Museum of Damascus, the Beiteddine Museum in Lebanon, and The Royal Museum in Jordan, in addition to a number of other local and international private collections. 

A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Damascus in 1980, he continued his studies at the renowned Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris, where he received first prize in the Admissions Competition. After obtaining a degree that was distinguished with honours in 1984, he returned to Syria where he taught at the Fine Arts and Drawing Centre in Damascus. A prominent member of the contemporary Syrian art scene, he has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in both the Arab world and abroad. A consummate artist, he has participated in a number of workshops in the Levant and North Africa, while his work is housed in such important Syrian collections as that of the Ministry of Culture, the National Museum, dar Al Assad Opera House and the Presidential Palace.

Mokawas’ paintings often resemble etchings, as his limited palette and concentration on line work are emphasised by the subtle employment of contrasting colours. This approach to painting is inspired in part by his intent to capture the startling beauty of the world around him with close observation. His figurative compositions are expressionistic in nature and frequently monumental in subject, as they offer detailed and complex imagery that is universal in scope. 

Moualla’s earlier works incorporated airy figures in chaos-filled settings that were often executed in a limited palette of warm tones. These indistinguishable, faceless subjects often appear darkened with black shadows so that they remain as anonymous characters of an equally mysterious world. As he has built his oeuvre, however, these figures have slowly disappeared, leaving an expressionist wasteland of text and brushwork that transports the viewer. 

To paraphrase Dr. Christoph Miething, a primary subject of Hajou’s art is the human in solitude. His works are often so impressive they appear as if one could speak of a persecution by faces, of eyes looking from below to above, of masks; looks which never arrive and hands tying to reach the unattainable with long spread fingers. And yet, there is something unalterable in his pictures – as if the image of mankind seems to be a verdict. However, apart from this urgency, liberty is present as space and colour. The image of mankind changes to a memorial of its vulnerability. Luminosity and gloom, water, soil, gale are already present before the individuals. It appears as if they grow out of a primordial chaos, as if they were released from the force of the elements. Hajou is the creator of this dramatic world of painting.

In 1996 she was a founding member of Al-Halaqa in Sana’a, a group that created a space for discourse and exhibitions and forged links with international artists. In 1998, Boushra became a full-time photographer and was honoured as the first Yemeni woman photographer by the Empirical Research and Women’s Studies Centre at Sana’a University. In 2001, Boushra won a World Studio Foundation Scholarship towards her study for a Diploma in Advertising Photography at the Portfolio Centre in Atlanta, where she won several distinctions. She has been featured in Yemen Times, Yemen Observer, Yemen Today, Artasiapacific Almanac 2011, El Pais, Muse, as well as the web magazine, Nafas Art Magazine, and photo blogs such as 500 Photographers, Greater Middle East Photo, and the New Yorker’s Photo Booth. 

Using video, photography, installation and performance, Waheeda Malullah playfully examines the roles adopted by Islamic women and the rules and mechanisms that control the world in which she lives. 

Born in Iran in 1962, Parastou Forouhar currently lives and works in Germany. She completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Tehran, and was awarded grants to continue her studies at Kunstlerhaus Schloss, Balmoral and Villa Massimo, Rome. In 2005 she received a Master’s degree from Hochschul Für Gestaltung in Offenbach, Germany. Previous solo exhibitions include Law Warschaw Gallery, Macalester College, Minnesota (2013); Fürth Art Gallery, Fürth (2012); Karin Sachs Gallery, Munich (2011); Fondazione Merz, Turin (2011); RH Gallery, New York (2010); Leighton House Museum, London (2010); Azad Gallery, Tehran (2009); and Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, Rome (2007). Recent group exhibitions include The Mattress Factory, Pittsburg (2012); Azad Art Gallery, Tehran (2012); Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art (2011); IFA Gallery, Berlin/ Stuttgart (2011); Beirut Exhibition Centre (2011); and Brisbane Gallery of Modern Art (2010). Forouhar is also co-curator for Treibsand, a magazine for contemporary art in Tehran. 

Photographs are both literal and obscure. Certain phrases light up the mind. I literally glimpse a concept. And that glimpse overwhelms me. As the meaning of this vision becomes increasingly distant, I redouble my efforts. I immerse myself in the process. I chase a conclusion. The experience will bring something to light. But can a literal result portray an obscure memory? The preservation of memory haunts me.

The result is a highly cerebral, conceptually driven body of work that is sure to captivate viewers with its visually provocative subject matter. 

Alshaibi has exhibited in over ten solo exhibitions, most recently Vs. Him at Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai (2011) and Zero Sum Game at Selma Feriani Gallery, London (2010). Her group exhibitions include the upcoming 55th Venice Biennial (Maldives Pavilion, 2013) and the 2014 FotoFest International Biennial, and previously at the Institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris, Traffic Gallery, Dubai, DARB 1718, Cairo, the Bronx Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver. Screenings include Mapping Subjectivity at MoMA, 24th Instants Video Festival in Marseille, Thessaloniki International Film Festival and CinemaEast Film Festival, NYC. Collections include Nadour (Germany), Barjeel Collection (Sharjah), EnFoco (NYC) and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Tunisia). Alshaibi is an Associate Professor of Photography/Video Art at University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. 

Born in the West with immediate family roots in Iran, Eric Parnes’ vision reflects one’s internal struggle to define identity and can be traced to early childhood experience. As a conceptual artist, the catharsis of creation has compelled him to examine and portray the perceived differences and similarities of the world in which he was born, as well as the echoes of the eras of my forefathers, allowing his concentration on crafting a series of works that revise and explore one’s understanding of ‘The Orient’.

The term Orientalism has been commonly described as the Occidental West’s long time attempt to depict the Middle East. Fantasy-driven concepts and themes, often idealized or romanticized, provided for a continuous melding of these cultures, producing imagery that continues to affect our perception today. Reaching far beyond the borders of the United States and the Middle East, Parnes’ art assesses the modern, the mystic, and the visceral reality of a “Neo-OrientalistTM.”

Today, the delineations between the East and West are increasingly blurred, with the cardinal points both exporting and interpreting their respective societies. As an artist seeking to define Neo- OrientalismTM, Parnes’ work continues to explore this intriguing correlation and contribute to the intersection of culture and modern identity. 

Born in Kuwait in 1967, Shurooq Amin lives and works in the country. Selected solo and group exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai (2013); Lahd Gallery, London (2011); CAN, New York (2010); Tilal Gallery, Kuwait (2010); 11th International Cairo Art Biennale (2008). A retrospective of her work was recently featured in the biannual art journal, Contemporary Practices: Visual Arts from the Middle East. 

Azzam’s approach to painting focuses on the tactical application of media; how a variety of components can be employed to create depth, texture and space, achieving a striking balance between the ordinary objects that he portrays and the grand terrain that he evokes. Azzam’s latest works utilise digital art to extend a political commentary on the upheavals in his homeland as a result of the Syrian Uprising. Many of these works depict the country of Syria riddled with bullet holes and bloodshed, reflecting the horrific violence faced by his countrymen. First exhibited and auctioned with The Young Collectors Auction No. 13 in early 2012, his prints are highly coveted for their originality and poignancy. 

Azzam’s approach to painting focuses on the tactical application of media; how a variety of components can be employed to create depth, texture and space, achieving a striking balance between the ordinary objects that he portrays and the grand terrain that he evokes. Azzam’s latest works utilise digital art to extend a political commentary on the upheavals in his homeland as a result of the Syrian Uprising. Many of these works depict the country of Syria riddled with bullet holes and bloodshed, reflecting the horrific violence faced by his countrymen. First exhibited and auctioned with The Young Collectors Auction No. 13 in early 2012, his prints are highly coveted for their originality and poignancy. 

A graduate of the American University of Beirut’s Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Tarazi has been exhibiting work in a variety of media including animation, installation and mixed media since 2000. Featured in group exhibitions and urban projects throughout the Middle East and Europe, he has also participated in the Creek Art Fair and the Bastakiya Art Fair. His work was first sold with The Young Collectors Auction in 2012. 

Agheli has exhibited in twenty fairs and over forty biennales as well as group exhibitions throughout Europe, Qatar and Morocco, and has twenty-three permanent public installations throughout Iran. A varied artist and scholar, Agheli also constructs technical devices for the cinema and theatre, collects and etymologises rug designs, Islamic designs and scripts. He has been widely published in essays, participated in research for Fifty Years of Contemporary Art of Iran, has authored the book 100 Years of New Statuary and others which involve the collection of statues and reliefs in the Islamic age. 

Nabavi’s large standing missile sculptures were the subject of his most recent solo exhibition titled Exquisite Pits. Each intricately mosaiced with mirrors and coloured glass panels, these faceted projectiles reflect upon the walls a plethora of colours, causing the viewer to balance the delicately dancing reflections with the cruel intention of the object. 

Renowned for his public art and work in urban regeneration, Karam has most recently been lauded for his architectural plan The Cloud, which made international headlines for its revolutionary ideas on how to reconfigure public space amidst Dubai’s growing cityscape. Karam’s projects and installations are interventions that seek to animate cities as diverse as Melbourne, Prague, Dubai, Beirut, London and Nara, Japan. These interventions often take the form of large-scale steel sculptures, described as ‘urban toys’ by the artist. For Karam, it is not only we, as humans, who need to dream, but our cities too – his urban toys are acts of whimsy and a rebellion against the soulless nature of so many modern spaces, bringing to life the environments around him. Karam states, ‘Each urban toy has a message. An open message ready to be inhabited by stories which become mingled with history.’

Born in 1957 in Senegal, Nadim Karam now lives and works in Beirut. In 1996, he established Atelier Hapsitus, a satellite grouping of young Lebanese architects and designers, that seeks to create an original urban vocabulary though large-scale art installation and architectural works for various cities worldwide. Karam’s work has appeared in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide, as well as biennales including Venice, Liverpool, and Gwangju. His sculptural series, Closets & Closets, was recently on display at the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris. Past publications include The Cloud, The Desert and The Arabian Breeze (2007); Urban Toys, (2006) and Voyage (2000). 

Employing a labored process in which the rawness of wood is treated with a bronze-like finish, Ali accentuates the natural contours of his medium while creating a dramatic patina-like surface that lends a timeless appearance to his work.

Born in Latakia, Syria in 1956, Mustafa Ali lives and works in Damascus . He is the founder Director of the non-profit Mustafa Ali Art Foundation, which presents exhibitions, workshops, lectures and cultural events throughout the year to local Damascus artists and the public.

His work is housed in private and public collections throughout the world, including the National Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Damascus, the Jordan National Gallery in Amman, the Sharjah Museum of Art, and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Public art commissions include The Gate of Syria at the Mediterranean Olympiad in Pari, Italy, and The Tower of Memory at the Damascus International Fairground. He has participated in international biennales including the International Symposium for Sculptors in Valencia, Spain (2001); the Latakia Sculpture Biennial (1997); the Sharjah Biennial (1995); and the Biennial of Alexandria, Egypt (1994). 

Born in 1981 in Tehran, Ramin Shirdel studied architecture at Tehran Art University. He has had extensive experience in different art mediums as well as architectural projects during the past ten years. Shirdel’s mixed media works appeared in solo and in group shows, such as Elahe galley, Tehran, 2011, the Sixth Biennale of Sculpture at Niavaran Cultural Center 2011, Haft Negah Group Exhibition at Niavaran Cultural Center 2012. His works housed in private collections throughout Middle East and United States.

His works are compositions of a large numbers of elements, which continuously interact with the viewer and create a feeling of fluidity. The visual language is a complex arrangement of diverse harmonic forms rather than a sculpture-like rigidity, which embodies the meaning of extreme figurative form, yet at the same time, nothingness, from different aspects. Incorporating Persian script in his works is an attempt to recreate some iconic concept and words from his native language and Eastern culture, while at the same time giving them a contemporary identity. 

In 2011, Astaneh held solo exhibition with Homa Art Gallery of Tehran, and has participated in numerous collective exhibitions in China, Iran, Austria, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. His works Have been auctioned with Christie’s in Paris, and at the joint Dubai sale of Opera Gallery and Million’s Auction House. 

A versatile artist, he has been commended on his painting and in 2000, won a national competition for the design and execution of a monumental sculpture in Galan Square, Cairo. Zaki has participated in global exhibitions and symposiums and his sculptures are highly coveted. His works can be found in the Egyptian Museum for Modern Sculpture in Aswan, the Egyptian Museum for Modern Art, Cairo, and in private collections in the United States, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, and Libya. 

Born in Lebanon in 1987, Lara Zankoul lives and works in Beirut. She has participated in group exhibitions within the Middle East and France. Part of the Shabab Ayyam incubator programme, she was an award recipient at the 2011 Shabab Ayyam Photography Competition and in 2013, she held her first solo exhibition at Ayyam Gallery Beirut. 

- Rumi

In the Filled with Light series, a dervish performs the Sema dance. While the dervish is part of the environment, through his dance he becomes an extension of it, a soul filled with light, spreading into the rustic surroundings to form one fluid set of photos. The double exposure experiment is a way to explore the surreal state of mind that the dervish reaches while whirling to connect with the divine. It's a representation of the lightness he emerges himself in, where two parallel universes are joined in one body.

Born in 1981 in Lebanon, Mohamad Badr lives and works in Dubai. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2011 Shabbab Ayyam Photography competition, and the Live Achrafieh Honorary Award for his contribution to the community (2011). He was also nominated for the fourth cycle of the Prix Pictet, the world’s leading photographic award in sustainability (2012). He is the founder of the Lakum Hamra2akoum wa Li Hamra2, photography project in Lebanon, and Mosaic: Achrafieh International Photography Contest, Lebanon’s first international photography competition. Selected solo shows include Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2012). 

In 2012, Ammar Abd Rabbo held his first artistic exhibition entitled Coming Soon at Ayyam Gallery, Beirut. This exhibition transported the viewer beyond the wall of informality and provided a privileged look into one of life’s most intimate spheres. Follow the Leader, Rabbo’s second solo exhibition, held in Dubai, focused on the spontaneous moments that portray the humanity of our world leaders. Rabbo was first featured in The Young Collector’s Auction 13, where his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II sold well above estimate. 

Born in a small village on the outskirts of Al-Hasakah, Syria in 1973, Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik trained at the Faculty of Fine Arts Damascus. His works are housed in public and private collections throughout the Middle East and Europe and he has been the recipient of several awards, including those from the Lattakia Biennale and the Shabab Ayyam competition for emerging artists. Solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2012) and Ayyam Gsllery Damascus (2008). Group exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai (2009); Tehran Biennale for Art in the Islamic World (2005); Unesco Palace, Beirut (2001).

Born in 1972 in Damascus, Ammar Al Beik lives and works in Dubai. Internationally renowned for his work in film and documentary, he has shown at numerous international festivals including the Sao Paulo International Film Festival; Edinburgh Documentary Film Festival; Berlin International Film Festival; and Locarno International Film Festival. He is also the recipient of numerous awards including the Jury Prize Winner at the Busan International Short Film Festival, Korea (2012); Golden Award at the Rotterdam 7th Arab Film Festival, Holland (2007); the Golden Award at the Tetouan 13th Film Festival, Morocco (2007); and the Jury Award at the Brisbane International Film Festival, Australia (2002). In 2006 he was the first Syrian filmmaker to receive the award for best documentary at the Venice International Film Festival. In 2011, he presented The Sun’s Incubator, a work exploring the domestic affects of the Arab Spring, at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. Solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai (2013); Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2011, 2010, 2008); Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2010). 

Since his graduation, Omari’s work has been featured in many exhibitions and festivals in Syria and Lebanon, including three consecutive years at the annual Youth Salon, the 2011 International Animation Festival at the French Cultural Centre in Damascus, and the 2011 Shaghaf Youth Artists Competition in Kamel Gallery, where he was awarded third prize.

Fraught with emotion, Omari’s oil on canvas compositions tackle complex psychological states, yet retain a profound beauty through their painterly application and realistic portrayal. A full-time artist represented by Kamel Gallery in Damascus, Abdalla Omari is presently collaborating in a new workshop at the Gallery with Ghassan Sibai and Fouad Dahdouh.

Abdalla Omari’s painting was first featured in The Young Collectors Auction 13 in early 2012, where his captivating portrait garnered much attention and sold over estimate. 

For Majidi-Nezhad, art is more about the struggles with everyday life and challenges around the world. Her subjects originate from the challenges she faces in everyday life within her society; the conflicts between personal aspirations and social conventions, and religious beliefs and traditions juxtaposed against human desire. 

Born in Tartous, Syria in 1976, Kais Salman lives and works in Damascus. In May 2010, a work from his Fashion Series appeared on the cover of the Wall Street Journal’s Weekend Edition magazine, a first for an Arab artist. His paintings are currently housed in private collections throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. Selected solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2012); Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai (2010); Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2010). Selcted Group exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai (2011; 2010); The Park Avenue Armory, New York (2008); Carthage Festival for Coast Mediterranean Sea Artists, Tunisia (2005); Damascus Museum of Modern Art. 

Mahmoud Sabzi has held solo and collective exhibitions since 1987 throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan and his works are permanently housed in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Iran. 

One of the most imaginative artists to date, Moosavinia’s canvases erupt in beautifully and skillfully surreal worlds. Reminiscent of the creativity of Hieronymous Bosch, Moosavinia creates a fantastical and nightmarish context in the series Recollection of a Hen, in which the progression of captive hen becomes captive human. Of the series Ali Etehad stated, 'the characters represented in these paintings are a collection of animal-like humans and human- like animals; created years ago, they went through hardships of all kinds, time after time. Wounded, sometimes even dead, they were abandoned to their fate: standing naked and truthful in front of the viewers.' 

Lavasani has exhibited widely inside Iran and has participated in many international and domestic collective exhibitions and art fairs. His work has been included in number of important publications in and out of Iran and his diptych Horse featured at Christie’s Dubai 2009 International Modern and Contemporary Art auction realized over $18,000. 

Born in Syria in 1967, Thaier Helal lives and works in the UAE. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Al Burda International Award from the Emirati Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development (2008); the Grand Gold Award at the Iran Contemporary Painting Biennial, Tehran (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).

Selected solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery DIFC (2012); Ayyam Gallery Cairo (2011); Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2010) Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2010); Green Art Gallery, Dubai (2006, 2003); Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi (2002); Sharjah Art Museum (2000). Selected group exhibitions include Art Paris Abu Dhabi (2008); Iran Contemporary Painting Biennial, Tehran (2005); Imagining the Book International Biennale, Alexandria (2005). 

To achieve a balance between his commitment to telling his country’s story and his desire to create beautiful artworks, Dweik uses delicate combinations of soft, textural colours to create a quiet harmony within his works, a technique he developed as a result of years of experimentation with different methods and raw materials. 

Born in Al-Hassaka, Syria in 1972, self-taught artist Sabhan Adam has developed a highly recognisable style of figurative painting that captures the darker side of man. Despite the heavy content of his canvases, his work remains widely popular. He has exhibited throughout the Middle East and Europe and is represented by both regional and international galleries. Adam’s paintings have been featured in several recent auctions and fairs in the Gulf.

With grotesque faces, distorted frames and piercing eyes, his protagonists leap out from the canvas with a startling visual agility. Adam once explained the frequent appearance of this peculiar subject by stating, 'The figures I paint have so many things in common with me—they look like me, they have the same head and the same eyes as me. I draw myself with everything that exists inside—the sadness, the misery, the shocking things I have faced, the isolation, and the feeling of not belonging to this world. These heads could be stuck on any kind of animals’ bodies. I spread Sabhan Adam on all the canvas, so Adam exists in many shapes.'

While his portraits do possess physical traits that are reminiscent of his own features, this form of representation is merely a journey for the artist; an existential path through which the self will eventually become liberated, free from the burden of representation and from earthly things such as alienation and sadness. 

Studying classical calligraphic forms such as divani, kufi, nastaliq, naskh, sols, Mohaggegh and broken nastaliq, allowed Bozorgi to develop his own uniquely contemporary characters based on Arabic and Persian roots. He approaches calligraphy with an architectural eye that is evident in the mathematical structure and symmetry of letters, especially those in his Crying for Honour series. Employing his engineering background, Bozorgi makes qualitative calculations in building his works, using geometry to create abstract illusions of movement and space. 

Syrian painter Mohannad Orabi’s embellished figures emanate a childlike innocence, reflecting his fascination with childhood experiences. In a response to the changing mood and turmoil in the region, the vibrant colouring and playfulness of his early work has gradually been replaced by an increasingly somber palette and expressive maturity. Where once his figures possessed otherworldly exaggerated features - bulky heads, expressionless and hollowed almond-shaped eyes, and full figures - they have become more clearly defined, with eyes that are noticeably marked with sadness. His characters are no longer able to remain divorced from events unfolding around them. Instead, they are now fully aware and firmly rooted in their tumultuous reality.

Born in Damascus in 1977, Mohannad Orabi currently lives and works Cairo. Orabi graduated from the Faculty of Fine Art in Damascus in 2000 and won the first prize in The Syrian National Young Artists Exhibition in 2006. Solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery Jeddah (2013); Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai (2012); Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai (2009); Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2008), Zara Gallery, Amman (2007); and Ishtar Gallery, Damascus (2006, 2004).