Marwan Kassab-Bachi

Born in Damascus, Marwan Kassab-Bachi, commonly referred to as Marwan, is celebrated as one of the most impactful and contemplative painters of the 20th century.

From 1955 to 1957, Marwan studied Arabic literature at the University of Damascus, before moving to Berlin, Germany, where he resided until his death. 

In Berlin, he studied under Hann Trier at the Hochschule der Künste (Berlin University of the Arts), where he later served as an associate professor, and subsequently professor, for more than two decades. He also founded the Summer Academy at the Darat al-Funun Foundation in Amman, mentoring regional artists between 1999 and 2003.

Marwan’s artistic journey began in childhood, with impressionistic depictions of Syrian landscapes, but in the 1970s, following his relocation to Berlin and a transformative scholarship in Paris, his work began to reflect a synthesis of Western avant-garde techniques and his Arab heritage, with his exposure to movements like Tachisme informing his use of spontaneous brushstrokes and fragmented forms.

While grounded in his Syrian heritage, Marwan’s art transcended locality, giving his works a universal resonance. He is best known for his recurring focus on the human head, a motif that dominated his career and captured the vulnerability, resilience and existential depth of humanity. “A painting is like a wound,” Marwan said, reflecting his belief in art as a physical and emotional revelation. His process was painstaking; he applied layer upon layer of paint, often taking months or even years to complete a single work, exploring each theme across multiple canvases and media.

Marwan’s exhibitions spanned decades and geographies. Highlights of his retrospectives and solo exhibitions include: ‘Works from 1964 to 2008’, Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Hamburg (2024); ‘Posthumous Retrospective’, Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin (2018); ‘Works on Paper: 1968-2014’, Sfeir-Semler Gallery Hamburg (2018); ‘Painting’, Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Hamburg (2016); ‘Not Towards Home, But the Horizon’, Mosaic Rooms, London (2015)​; ‘Topographies of the Soul’, Maraya Art Center, Sharjah (2014–2015)​; ‘Marwan. Early Works 1962 – 1972’, Museu de Arte Contemporanea de Serralves, Porto, Portugal (2013); ‘Marwan. Early Works 1962 – 1972’, Beirut Exhibition Center, Beirut (2013); ‘MARWAN’, Galeri Artist, Istanbul (2012); ‘Open Until the End - Marwan A Retrospective in Eleven Acts’, Haus am Waldsee, Berlin (2009); ‘Seventy Five’, Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Beirut (2009); ‘Painting’, Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Hamburg, (2009); ‘Marwan. Abdelrahman Munif Tales and Book Covers‘, Tajalliyat Gallery, Damascus (2009); ‚The 99 Attributes’, Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin (2008–2009)​; Beaux Arts Gallery, Dubai, UAE (2008); Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Lübeck, Germany (2006); Berlinische Galerie, Berlin (2006); Landesmuseum für Moderne Kunst, Fotografie und Architektur, Berlin, Germany (2006); Marwan Beirut, New Waterfront Exhibition Center, Beirut City Center, Beirut, Lebanon (2005); ‘Marwan: Khaddousch or the Unknown Early Work. Watercolours und Drawings 1962–1971’, Lindenau Museum, Altenburg, Germany (2005); ‘Damascus – Berlin – Damascus‘, Khan Asaad Basha, Damascus (2005); Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation/Darat al-Funun, Amman, Jordan (2004); Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center, Ramallah, Palestine (2001); ‘Retrospective’, Atassi Gallery, Damascus (1996); ‘Retrospective’, Al Hanager Hall, Cairo (1996); and ‘Marwan: Peintures’, Gravures, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (1993)​.

Kassab-Bachi’s group exhibitions include: ‘Modern Art from the Middle East’, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, US (2017); ‘Uncertain States. Artistic Strategies in States of Emergency’, Akademie der Künste, Berlin (2016 - 2017); ‘Here and Elsewhere’, New Museum, New York (2014); ‘Kunst in Berlin. 1945 bis Heute’ Berlinische Galerie, Berlin (2013); ‚760 914 cm2 Druck’, Städtische Galerie, Wolfsburg, Germany (2011); ‘Zusammen. Mitglieder der Akademie der Künste und ihre Gäste’, Schweriner Kunst und Museumsverein, Schwerin, Germany (2001); ‘Kinder als Auftraggeber’, Akademie der Künste, Berlin (2001); and ‘Quatre Peintres Arabes’, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (1988). He also participated in international biennales, notably at the Venice Biennale (1982, 1990, 2017) and the Istanbul Biennale (2009).

Marwan received numerous accolades, including: the Karl Hofer Prize (1966); Fred Thieler Prize for Painting (2002); Lebanese Cultural Forum Prize (2005); and Germany’s Federal Cross of Merit (2005). In 1994, he became the first Arab member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. His art resides in notable collections, including the British Museum, Tate Modern, Berlinische Galerie and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.