Lot 148: SAFWAN DAHOUL (SYRIAN, B. 1961) Rêve 31 (Dream 31) signed in Arabic, signed

SAFWAN DAHOUL (SYRIAN, B. 1961) Rêve 31 (Dream 31) signed in Arabic, signed and dated ‘DAHOUL 010’ (upper right) acrylic on canvas 70 3/4 x 86 1/2 in. (180 x 220cm.) Painted in 2011

EXHIBITED: Dubai, Ayyam Gallery, Still Dreaming, 2011.

LITERATURE: M. Farhat, Safwan Dahoul Dreams Transcended, in Canvas, vol. 7, issue 5, Sep-Oct 2011 (illustrated in colour, p. 133). In the seminal work Rêve 31 from 2011, the downcast fgure assumes a sculptural quality with her stone-like skin haunting in its exposure. She bows her head and a motherly tenderness radiates in her arms covering her chest and her curled fngers. She is lightly dressed in black. Her contorted body is limited to the frame and seems to foat in the black and white squarepatterned background emphasising the allusion to the surreal and the enigmatic. This choice of homogeneous and cold surroundings underlines the feeling of solitude of this female fgure in a foetal position. Echoing her position, the viewer notices that the woman is pregnant. And taking a closer look, one ironically notices her own refection as she is pregnant with a representation of herself as a foetus, as if it is her and her only that has the ability to be reborn. The exquisiteness of this painting lies in the countless questions that arise as to the meaning of this self-alienation. The present work is of major importance as it was painted exactly the year of the start of the Syrian Civil War when Dahoul’s country was under dramatic tension and when simultaneously, with his heart shattered, that same year, Dahoul moved to settle in Dubai. Following the sad passing of his wife Nawal three years prior, the intensity of his feelings is masterfully translated into his sombre painting. Apart from an inner self-inspiration, the lines, contours and the way the body parts of the fgure seem deconstructed suggest Dahoul’s exposure to Cubism whilst simultaneously reminiscent of byzantine iconography. It is no doubt that the infuences of Assyrian and Flemish art remain deep rooted within his works. Although a sense of sorrow and death resonates in his fantasy dream-like world, this underlying oppressive state is countered with a sign of hope that the artist subtly inserts. The glow of hope in Rêve 31 is refected in the pregnancy and expectation of rebirth. The state of his subconscious fows on his canvases whether on a human level or a nation level creating a fascinating play on perceptions, in the same way one can fnd a myriad of interpretation for one single dream. Celebrated as a prominent member of the Damascus art scene with his unequalled series Dream of the past thirty years, Dahoul has marvellously been an icon for bridging modern and contemporary Arab art with his timeless Aesthetic and the consistency of his technique.

PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner.