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Lot Essay
"Haven't you noticed how the colours in Syria are so subdued? Even the green of the trees is pale. I don't even remember seeing people wearing bright colours here. Growing up, nobody wore yellow or blue or pink...We "Syrian" now unconsciously fear colour. Look at the streets. They are colourless...Our souls have been affected to such an extent that we now fear colour. Personally I have been affected by this change and I myself feel colourless...Less colours means clearer ideas, less colours ask for a more sensitive perception of the viewer."
(Safwan Dahoul in conversation with Maymanah Farhat).
In Rve 16 by Safwan Dahoul, the large, poignantly coloured face of the female against a dark pool of intense black encapsulates the focal point of this composition. The shapes of this profile as well as the delicate facial features are reminiscent of the sculpted
Muses by Constantin Brancusi. Such angular profiles are a signature theme in Dahoul's recent style of work.
In this powerful composition Dahoul portrays a female figure holding a mask inches from her face which she appears to be removing delicately and slowly with her left hand. In doing this, Dahoul metaphorically alludes to a transformation; of one slowly revealing one's true self. He believes that as humans we are all playing a part and therefore should make the conscious decision to act out our parts to the best of our ability.
This figure emphasises that behind each seeming mask there is a person, who on a deeper level is conflicted and looking for truth. His reference to Egyptology, particularly to death masks in ancient royal tombs, is exemplified by the dark kohl markings around the figures eyes. As the rest of the mask and eyes remain black and bare, the viewer senses that something is hidden, a sense of sorrow and death resonates in the painting, but yet Dahoul's key intent is to represent the search for one's true self - a feat that is often unsuccessful and leaves one empty and hollow. In Greek mythology Homer believed that at the time of death all thoughts and actions survive for some time before they are scattered by the winds with only the psyche living on. He believed that one's true self corresponds to one's mask. The substance of Dahoul's work is highlighted by his ability to question the unspoken burden for his human subjects; in a world filled with hypocrisy and double standards one's mask is created.
(Safwan Dahoul in conversation with Maymanah Farhat).
In Rve 16 by Safwan Dahoul, the large, poignantly coloured face of the female against a dark pool of intense black encapsulates the focal point of this composition. The shapes of this profile as well as the delicate facial features are reminiscent of the sculpted
Muses by Constantin Brancusi. Such angular profiles are a signature theme in Dahoul's recent style of work.
In this powerful composition Dahoul portrays a female figure holding a mask inches from her face which she appears to be removing delicately and slowly with her left hand. In doing this, Dahoul metaphorically alludes to a transformation; of one slowly revealing one's true self. He believes that as humans we are all playing a part and therefore should make the conscious decision to act out our parts to the best of our ability.
This figure emphasises that behind each seeming mask there is a person, who on a deeper level is conflicted and looking for truth. His reference to Egyptology, particularly to death masks in ancient royal tombs, is exemplified by the dark kohl markings around the figures eyes. As the rest of the mask and eyes remain black and bare, the viewer senses that something is hidden, a sense of sorrow and death resonates in the painting, but yet Dahoul's key intent is to represent the search for one's true self - a feat that is often unsuccessful and leaves one empty and hollow. In Greek mythology Homer believed that at the time of death all thoughts and actions survive for some time before they are scattered by the winds with only the psyche living on. He believed that one's true self corresponds to one's mask. The substance of Dahoul's work is highlighted by his ability to question the unspoken burden for his human subjects; in a world filled with hypocrisy and double standards one's mask is created.