The second presentation of Safwan Dahoul's latest body of work, Still Dreaming, highlights a selection of paintings from the artist’s 2018 solo exhibition at Ayyam Gallery Dubai (DIFC). Since the late 1980s, Dahoul’s ongoing Dream series has explored the physical and psychological effects of alienation, solitude, and longing that punctuate the human experience at various stages in life. Partly autobiographical, this seminal body of work uses the formal properties of painting to recreate the subconscious sense of enclosure that surfaces during times of crisis, whether in the event of mourning, estrangement, or political conflict. In his newest works, with the aptly titled exhibition Still Dreaming, the artist continues this exploration, however this time posing the question: Are we still dreaming?
