Nazir Ismail

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A master of various mediums, Nazir Ismail portrays subjects from Syria’s contemporary religious and socio-political landscape. The artist explores themes of confusion, unease, and loss. primarily through a blend of abstraction and figuration. From an early age, he frequented the studio of the folk artist Abu Subhi Al Tinawi, which neighbored his grandfather’s home. This early exposure led him to begin his own practice as a self-taught artist in the 1960s. His debut exhibition was hosted in Beirut, where he then lived and worked. Refining his practice over time, he developed his own distinctive style consisting of earthy tones and a unique expressionist technique, painting human or animal figures in the tradition of ancient Syrian sculpture. Ismail’s work has travelled to cultural capitals around the world featuring in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Retrospective exhibitions of his work were held in 1969 and in 1996 at the Goethe Institute in Damascus. He passed away in his homeland in 2016.