Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA – With the participation of 140 artists and showcasing over 300 art pieces ranging from photography to painting and sculpture, the Annual Fall Exhibition opened on Saturday at Khan Asaad Basha in Damascus Old City, organized by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Plastic Artists Union.
The exhibition, which is open until December 27th, presents works of various styles and schools, including realism, impressionism, expressionism, surrealism, and experimentalism, showcasing the versatility and diversity of Syrian artists who embraced various schools of art, with some works showing a deep connection to Arab and Islamic heritage, while others showed modernism and bold originality.
Though the subjects of the art pieces are quite diverse this year, the dominant theme of most pieces is Syria and its various facets and aspects, creating a synergy with the traditional architecture of the venue; Khan Asaad Basha, one of the most beautiful landmarks of the old city.
Among the participating artists are both newcomers to the Syrian art scene and veteran artists like Talal Abdullah, Elias al-Zayyat, Asma’a Fayoumi, in addition to art by the late head of the Plastic Artists Union Haidar Yazigi, who passed away recently.
Other participating artists include Saed Salloum, Abdelrahman Muhanna, Aktham Talla’a, Ghassan Na’na’a, Edward Shahda, Ismael Nasra, and Anwar al-Rahbi.
Minister of Culture Issam Khalil, who attended the opening of the exhibition, said that this event is an opportunity to learn about the richness and development of the Syrian art scene, noting that the works draw upon the current reality but are full of hope and a sense of persistence.
Anwar al-Rahbi, one of the participating artists, presented a painting called “Miriam’s wedding” which depicts a wedding being postponed due to the circumstances of the crisis, while artist Jamila Katrina presented a painting depicting the birth of the human being and the stages of his life leading to death.
Sculptor Ghazi Kasouh presented a piece called “odor of jasmine” made of olive wood, with the artist attempting to capture the image of a rising and outgoing female reflecting Syria’s renewal and resurgence, while fellow sculptor Yosra Mohammad presented a piece titled “strength” resembling the head of a bull and symbolizing internal strength.
Jamal al-Abbas presented a painting titled “hymns to loving the place” which depicts a woman and symbolizing her bond to place and the persistence of life in an expressionist style, while Saed Salloum’s painting presented the human who embraced nihilism in an expressionist, symbolic manner.
Hazem Sabbagh
