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Lot Essay
Undeniably one of the most intriguing and captivating life journeys in both Syrian Modern history and Levantine art movements, acclaimed artist Fateh Moudarres' distinctive signature continues to enchant anyone who encounters his rich and detailed works.
Throughout most of the artist's oeuvre, iconic faceless figures feature often without a mouth and with their eyes closed. They represent the inability to express one's personal opinion or values, wrought with anger and hostility they give insight into Moudarres' state of mind and life history, one full of personal tragedies such as the death of his two children at an early age and another deeply affected by the social and political tragedies that have continued to plight the Middle East.
Although his works are underlyingly dark in their nature, they also hold within them a mother's beauty and goodness, a sense of optimism that is often exemplified by his colour palette. The characters in most of Moudarres' work are enriched with warm and vibrant colours, replicating earthy tones that are reminiscent of the North Eastern desert where he spent many long summers during his childhood. In the present work, Moudarres has chosen to touch on these sandy colours, but has also incorporated pinks, oranges, whites and fawns. Each of the faces of the figures in the composition bring together a variety of executions in technique; some include dense applications of paint, scratches and sand while others include the decorative effect of stippling. Additionally, he references ancient Assyrian statues and iconography and by doing so offers a cry for help to all the Arab kings and leaders, offering his own discourse on social and political situations.
To this point however, when viewing Moudarres' work, one can conclude that each piece does not represent a specific time in history. As each piece is set free to make its own mark, devoid of specific references to a time and place, the artist's clear refusal to accept history as a whole is evident. In Moudarres' eyes, life was never balanced or fair and he was eternally searching for a sense of equilibrium. The figures in the painting are thus often depicted as if seemingly lost, searching for the place to which they belong and gaze into the viewer's eyes questioningly for an answer.
Throughout most of the artist's oeuvre, iconic faceless figures feature often without a mouth and with their eyes closed. They represent the inability to express one's personal opinion or values, wrought with anger and hostility they give insight into Moudarres' state of mind and life history, one full of personal tragedies such as the death of his two children at an early age and another deeply affected by the social and political tragedies that have continued to plight the Middle East.
Although his works are underlyingly dark in their nature, they also hold within them a mother's beauty and goodness, a sense of optimism that is often exemplified by his colour palette. The characters in most of Moudarres' work are enriched with warm and vibrant colours, replicating earthy tones that are reminiscent of the North Eastern desert where he spent many long summers during his childhood. In the present work, Moudarres has chosen to touch on these sandy colours, but has also incorporated pinks, oranges, whites and fawns. Each of the faces of the figures in the composition bring together a variety of executions in technique; some include dense applications of paint, scratches and sand while others include the decorative effect of stippling. Additionally, he references ancient Assyrian statues and iconography and by doing so offers a cry for help to all the Arab kings and leaders, offering his own discourse on social and political situations.
To this point however, when viewing Moudarres' work, one can conclude that each piece does not represent a specific time in history. As each piece is set free to make its own mark, devoid of specific references to a time and place, the artist's clear refusal to accept history as a whole is evident. In Moudarres' eyes, life was never balanced or fair and he was eternally searching for a sense of equilibrium. The figures in the painting are thus often depicted as if seemingly lost, searching for the place to which they belong and gaze into the viewer's eyes questioningly for an answer.