In a rare interview with AD, Syrian artist Safwan Dahoul invites us into his Dubai studio, reflecting on personal trials, loss and the subtle power of his Dream series, ahead of his highly anticipated Dubai exhibition at Ayyam Gallery.
In “The Eye: An Aperture Into the Soul”, Dahoul presents a series of soulful figurative paintings, executed in a serious palette of black, white and grey tones. He revisits the motifs of boxes, cubes and drawers, symbolizing closure, isolation and the feeling of being trapped, which he started experimenting with nearly three decades ago. “I don’t know why I trapped my figures during this period,” says Dahoul. “I felt that I could return to them now because it really fits with the current atmosphere we are living in.”
In “The Eye: An Aperture Into the Soul”, Dahoul presents a series of soulful figurative paintings, executed in a serious palette of black, white and grey tones. He revisits the motifs of boxes, cubes and drawers, symbolizing closure, isolation and the feeling of being trapped, which he started experimenting with nearly three decades ago. “I don’t know why I trapped my figures during this period,” says Dahoul. “I felt that I could return to them now because it really fits with the current atmosphere we are living in.”
