Naim Ismail

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At seven years old, Naim Ismail (1930-1979) and his family fled south from their native city of Antioch after the northern region of Syria was annexed by Turkey in 1939. Ismail became a painter following in the footsteps of his older brother, Adham. Unlike his brother, Naim Ismail’s art was heavily political, greatly inspired by scenes of everyday life and traditional design including islamic geometric art and abstract symbolic forms. After having studied painting in Istanbul and Rome, Ismail settled in Damascus to work as an artistic director for magazines. Prior to his death, during nine years, he held the position of Director of Fine Arts at the Syrian ministry of Culture. Ismail was concerned with both form and content, often imbuing his pieces with socio-political messages. He has produced pen drawings, frescoes, mosaics and publication covers. He was commissioned to create public works such as the façade of the trade union building in Damascus and the front of the Euphrates Dam in Tabqa. Ismail’s work has been exhibited and acquired by private and public collections such as the Barjeel Art Foundation and the Atassi Foundation.