Art by Safwan Dahoul
Dream 112
Dream 152
Dream 151
Dream 8
Dream 21
Dream 55
Dream 73
Dream 104
SAFWAN DAHOUL, as one of the foremost painters in the Arab world, has repeatedly demonstrated how contemporary modes of figuration can describe the psychic terrain of a region that is in constant flux. Born in 1961 in Hama, Syria, Dahoul was initially trained by leading modernists at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Damascus before travelling to Belgium, where he earned a doctorate from the Higher Institute of Plastic Arts in Mons. Upon returning to Syria, he began teaching at the Faculty of Fine Arts and was a prominent member of the Damascus art scene. In the span of a decade, Dahoul nurtured a new generation of artists as an active mentor whose evolving aesthetic often ignited new directions in painting. Given the trajectory and status of his painting style, Dahoul’s career is regarded as a crucial link between modern and contemporary Arab art. He now lives in Dubai.