Born in Damascus in,1966 Rabbo lived in Libya and Lebanon prior to ultimately residing in France in 1978. As one of the Arab world’s most important photojournalists, his work has been published in the world’s most widely circulated publications, from Time Magazine to Paris Match, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, and Asharq Al Awsat, where he signed more than 60 magazine covers. From a twenty-year career, his portfolio amassed intimate portraits of head of states, war coverage in Iraq, Lebanon and Libya, world-renowned celebrities like the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, as well as high society events such as the Cannes Film Festival and Paris Fashion Week.

 

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 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) and Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2010). 

 

Born in 1974 in Urmia, Afshin Pirhashemi now lives and works in Tehran. His works are housed in public and private collections throughout the Middle East and Europe and he is the recipient of awards from the 2003Tehran 6th International Art Biennial, and the 2004Beijing Art Biennial Award. Solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai (2013), Homa Art Gallery, Tehran (2009), Seyhoun Art Gallery, Tehran (2005) and Barg Gallery, Tehran (2005).Group exhibitions include In & Out, Milan (2009), Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran (2006) Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran (2004, 2003). 

Born in Homs, Syria in 1939, Ghassan Sebai studied Oil Painting at the University of Alexandria, Egypt and continued to train in the Visual Arts with a specialisation in Engraving at the Higher Institute of Fine Arts in Paris, from which he graduated in 1970. In 1974, Sebai returned to Syria where he taught Engraving at the University of Damascus until 2002 and was an active member of the art scene.

 

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 led 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 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. 

Mohammad Haidar was born in Saudi Arabia in 1964. He served as Chairman of the Saudi House of Artists in Jeddah for three years in a row; 2007, 2008, 2009. He was also a member in the Arab Society for Arts and culture and an advisor for the Visual Arts Center, Tasamy. He held solo exhibitions of his contemporary works at the Saudi Center for Contemporary Art (1999), Atelier Jeddah for Fine Arts (2004), Jeddah International Exhibition for Fine Arts (2007), He also presented his work at Art of Spain in 2010, and held “Hymns” at Atelier Jeddah in 2010. 

In 2011, Haidar held a solo exhibition at Samlo Firence Gallery for Arts, and in 2012 held an exhibition at the Art Gallery in the French consulate. Haidar also participated in a group of Kuwaiti exhibitions at Beirut Biennale under the title “Modern Art in the Twentieth Century”. In addition to exhibiting some of his work in Austria at the United Nations exhibitions to build the Contemporary Saudi Center. Haidar also took part in Japan’s Fifth Exhibition in ,2005and participated with Artists Fahd Khalif and Abdulrahman Al Maghriby in Al Alamia exhibition under the title “Faces From Memories” which was held in Jeddah in 2006.

Haidar exhibited his artwork in Morocco, Alexandria, and “Islam is Peace” in Jeddah and Medina. He also participated in many forums, including Alexandria’s Forum and Yemen’s Mubarak Forum. In addition to that: the Biennale of Heritage and Culture in Egypt; The Autumn Salon, Paris, 2009, and numerous art exhibitions in Saudi Arabia. 

Lebanese artist and architect Nadim Karam’s multi-disciplinary approach incorporates painting, drawing, sculpture and writing. Fusing various cultural influences, Karam’s works transcend social, political and national borders, forming a unique pictorial language, replete with recurring symbols, and with its own original characters and narratives. They form an alphabet of sorts, in what is an on-going, sometimes absurdist, exploration of the creative power of dreams.

 

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). 

 

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).

 

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. 

 

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). 

Born in 1955 and raised in Latakia, Syria, Ali Mokawas is an accomplished contemporary painter. After graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Damascus in 1978, he went on to establish himself as a leading Syrian artist. Currently an instructor of art, he has exhibited throughout the Arab world, in some of the region’s foremost commercial space including Atassi Gallery in Damascus, Agial Gallery in Beirut, Green Art Gallery in Dubai and Hewar Gallery in Riyadh. Internationally, his work has also been shown in spaces throughout Europe. Recognised for his distinct style of painting, he has been invited to represent Syria numerous times in exhibitions that were organised by the Ministry of Culture and in such high profile art fairs as the Sharjah and Cairo Biennials.

 

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. 

 

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).

- 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). 

Born in 1988, in Jeddah, Huda Beydoun graduated with a degree in Special Education, majoring in Autism Spectrum Disorders. While painting was Beydoun’s first discipline, recent works involve digital art, mixed media and photography, which she further enhanced with studies in Graphic Design and Photography at Dar Al-Hekma College, Jeddah. Beydoun has displayed her work in various art exhibitions such as Athr Gallery, ROOM NO.5, Jeddah, and Amber Gallery, Morocco.

 

The series Documenting the Undocumented is an asymmetrical reflection of the interaction (or lack there of) between some undocumented immigrants and the artist. This series was challenging as many undocumented immigrants are being deported from the Kingdom, therefore Beydoun masks their faces and identities with the docile Mickey Mouse silhouette. Beydoun chose the character of Mickey Mouse for his global significance and innocent, joyous symbolism, as this paralleled the actual unsettling feelings experienced by these undocumented immigrants while being photographed. 

‘Social media is the best tool we have available to showcase and express our art. When I do a new piece of street art I will take a photo and share it on social media. This enables all of my followers, friends and fans to comment, share and like the work I do. But also provide criticism. You can’t create this type of dialogue on the streets.’

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. He first participated in The Young Collectors Auction 16 in Dubai in September 2013, where his United Nations (Yoda & King Faisal) sold for nine times above estimate. 

Abdulnasser Gharem was born in 1973 in the Saudi Arabian city of Khamis Mushait. In 1992, Gharem graduated from the King Abdulaziz Academy before attending The Leader Institute in Riyadh. In 2003, he studied at the influential Al- Meftaha Arts Village in Abha and in 2004, Gharem and the Al-Meftaha artists staged a group exhibition, Shattah, which challenged existing modes of art practice in Saudi Arabia. Abdulnasser Gharem co- founded the Edge of Arabia project (with Stephen Stapleton and Ahmed Mater) as a platform to support Saudi contemporary artists reach an international audience.

 

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 and 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. 

 

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

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. 

Born in Bahrain in 1956 of Saudi nationality, Faisal Samra graduated from Ecole National Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. Prior to becoming a full-time artist, Samra worked as a Stage Designer for Saudi television, a Fine Arts and Graphics Consultant for the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, France, carried out research on Islamic design and artisan works throughout Morocco, and attended the College of Fine Arts in Amman, Jordan. In 2005, he was Artist in Residence at Cite International Des Arts in Paris, France and was an acting jury member at the Alexandria Biennale.

 

Samra has held numerous solo exhibitions since 1974 throughout Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, France, Bahrain, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan, in addition to collective exhibitions in the United States of America, Germany, Iraq, Egypt, Switzerland, and The Netherlands. His works are housed in many private collections such as the Khaled Shoman Foundation, Darat Al Funun, and the National Museum of Fine Arts in Amman, Jordan; the private collection of Sheikha Paula Alsabah in Kuwait; The British Museum, London, England; Bahrain National Museum; and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, France. 

 

As an artist, his installation works comment on media bias in the filtration of news stories to the masses, the superficiality and lack of spirituality some face as a result of the extraordinary wealth obtained through oil, and the human condition. He has participated in a number of collective exhibitions within Saudi Arabia, in Budapest, Sharjah, Dubai, and Sharm Al Shiekh and his work was awarded first prize at the 2011 Media Art Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

“We usually get attracted to candy because of its pretty sparkling wrapping. Although it is the first thing we dispose of. Are we practicing the same in real life?

I try with this work to create something with a value out of the thrown wrappers -as we should do with the neglected good values in our life.”

-Ghada Al Rabee

 

Born in 1979, Ghada Al Rabee is a Madinah born artist who has been in the arts all her life. She has been dabbling in traditional art for a long time; creating unique portraits using candy wrappers that portray the various cultures within Saudi Arabia. 

Abdulaziz Ashour was born in1962 in the traditional part of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Like most Saudi artists, he initially explored his art while maintaining a steady job, in his case, a long stint with the Ministry of Energy. This more than explains the preponderance of circuit boards, wires and CDs within the expanse of his rich canvases.

 

Ashour became a full-time artist in 2009. His work is a medley of soft and striking colours. Often he gives one colour a dominant compositional force, though his works also traverse with diagrammatic interpretations and invisible lines of communication and at other times, displays a deeper, unbearable tension from experiences following the first Gulf War. Ashour delves in abstract secret passages inseparable from both conscious and sub-conscious experiences, yet those that are free and capable of standing alone dominantly and deeply. 

Said Gamhawi is a member of the Fine Artists House in Jeddah, and the Saudi Society for Culture. Solo exhibitions include his first exhibition in ,1998and second exhibition at Jeddah Atelier for Fine Arts 2003.

 

He has participated in international group shows such as Saudi Cultural Week exhibition in Italy, Netherlands and the UAE; The Saudi Contemporary Art exhibition, Cairo 2001 and Ten Saudi Artists Exhibition, Syria 2000.

 

Gamhawi also participated in local events such as “The Palestinian Intifada”, Riyadh; The Youth Welfare exhibitions since1991; group exhibition “Badrat Al Arous” 2001; Baha’s Tourism Fair 2000. His work is housed in private and private collections including: The Youth Welfare, Abdel Raouf Khalil Museum, Crafts House (Artizana), some businessmen and King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah.

 

He received the first prize at the Regions Exhibition in 1997, and several certificates of merit from the General Presidency of Youth Welfare, the Ministry of Education and from some art galleries.