Lot 42: SAFWAN DAHOUL (SYRIA, BORN 1961) Rêve acrylic on canvas, framed signed

SAFWAN DAHOUL (SYRIA, BORN 1961) Rêve acrylic on canvas, framed signed Safwan in Arabic and Dahoul in English, dated ’07 (upper centre), executed in 2007 160 x 150cm (63 x 59 1/16in).

Provenance: Property from a private collection, England Safwan Dahoul’s Rêve paintings are one the most recognised bodies of work in contemporary Arab art. Each one of his oversized acrylic paintings are prompted by its predecessor, whilst simultaneously informing the next as each one carries an individual narrative. In this series of works, Dahoul explores the uniqueness of each dream and the emotional state of each individual. The female figure in this painting thought to be a depiction of the artist’s wife in her dying month appears to be in a state of transience as the title Rêve or Dream suggests. Here the protagonist’s face is positioned in the upper right of the canvas, as if separate from the fragile body resting over her knees. She appears to be laying helplessly in a shielded fatal position on a bed of nails, however her face is lit with serenity and peacefulness. Like a mask, her face bears empty frozen emotion with her eyes are silently shut. Dahoul’s visual interpretation of a dream attempts to bridge the gap between the conscious and the subconscious mind. This hauntingly beautiful painting possesses Dahoul’s signature use of monochrome and minimalist two-tone colour palette. His ability to create positive and negative space allows him to capture his recurring themes of confinement, alienation, solitude and longing and thus exploring their physical and psychological effects. Each of the paintings allow for infinite interpretations; Dahoul encourages the viewer to engage and connect with the artwork depending on each individual’s personal experiences yet the underlying meaning behind the Rêve paintings seems to remain the same. Safwan Dahoul was born in Hama, Syria in 1961. After graduating from the Faculty of Fines Arts in Damascus at the top of his class in 1983, he went on to receive a scholarship to study abroad from the Ministry of Higher Education in 1987.In 1997, Dahoul obtained a doctorate from the Higher Institute of Plastic Arts in Mons, Belgium. Since then he has participated numerous international art fairs, and solo and group exhibitions throughout the Middle East, Europe and the US. He is amongst the highest grossing Middle Eastern artists to date, his outstanding auction sales and blockbuster show have made him widely popular with regional and international collectors alike. Painting the ‘Dream’ series is like writing my memoirs. The woman in my paintings represents me, and she is changing because I have changed with time. Today, the reality surrounding us is so harsh that you cannot ignore it even while dreaming. In fact, the situation in Syria is so surreal that I cannot believe it is really happening. I keep questioning whether it is reality or a bad dream; and I feel embarrassed to call it a dream. Safwan Dahoul