Untitled (93), 2016

Nazir Ismail  

Born in Damscus, Syria, 1948-2016.

His oeuvre has been featured in the Barjeel Art Foundation, the Sharjah Biennale, the Royal Museum of Amman, the Museum of Qatar, and has also been sold by reputable auction houses, including Christie’s.

Additionally, he won the 3rd prize at the exhibition for Young Artists in Damascus in 1971, the Graphic Prize in Berlin in 1980, and the 3rdprize in the Sharjah Biennale in 1996.

In addition to being part of private collections, some of his work adorns museums and ministries in Damascus.

Curator Statement

"The retrospective exhibition “Fifty Three Years” celebrates the career and oeuvre of the late contemporary artist Nazir Ismail. In honor of the third anniversary of his passing, the gallery will showcase works that span the different states of his career. The exhibition will bring together unique paintings that pay tribute to the artist’s continual exploration of human emotion.

His primary tool is color, and he uses it to express the mysteries of what lies beneath the surface. Lines become scars and remnants of feeling, while the palette experiments with the diverse facets of psychology. Bridging the gaps of time, Ismail blends the traditional with the modern, the figural with the abstract. His work has been recognized locally and internationally, and has been exhibited in unique venues. It is an honor to share with you the compilation of his creative body of work and his passion for the making of art in this retrospective."

Noha W. Moharram