Fateh al-Moudarres
1922 Aleppo, Syria - 1999 Damascus, Syria.
25 paintings and works on paper
Courtesy of Atassi Gallery Collection and Tajalliyat Gallery Collection
About the artist and his work
Fateh Moudarres (1922-1999) is considered widely as one of Syria and the Arab world’s seminal modernists. The bold singularity of his representational language was engaged with mythology, religion and popular lore as well as his deep political engagement. A stubborn iconoclast and tireless insurgent, he was a pivotal figure for generations of artists in Syria, he described his style saying: “It looks childish, but it is not childish. In my paintings one can see, how much I love human beings, in my art I stand near them, when the power of fate and oppressive structures beset them.”
In addition to visual and plastic arts, Moudarres was also a poet and writer. The exhibition includes paintings that mark a milestone in his practice, dating back to the 1960s, especially 1967 – the year of the defeat of the Arab armies in the war with Israel. The series of drawings include his infamous portrait of internationally-acclaimed Syrian poet Adonis who was a close accomplice of Moudarres. They underline at once the irreverent versatility of his talent and the coherence of his language.
© From the SB10 Guidebook.
© Photo: Haupt & Binder, Universes in Universe
Part 1 of the photo tour through Sharjah Biennial 10: Plot for a Biennial; 16 March - 16 May 2011. Curators: Suzanne Cotter, Rasha Salti; Associate curator: Haig Aivazian. More than 100 participants.